Proof to Product (Katie Hunt)

Show details Episodes (464)Links (1297)RSS Check (69%)Related content (100)

Explore every episode of Proof to Product

Dive into the complete episode list for Proof to Product. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.

	Pub. Date	Title	Duration
	20 Aug 2024	357 \| The Most Important Sales Tool for Wholesale with Katie Hunt	00:14:05
A wholesale catalog’s purpose is to sell your products, tell your story, and build a relationship with a buyer when you can’t be there with them in person. Ultimately, the goal of your wholesale catalog is to sell your products, and it’s important to build your catalog with your retailer in mind. Today I’m going to go through five quick tips for creating an effective wholesale catalog. Today's episode is brought to you by our Paper Camp program. Paper Camp is our wholesale coaching program where we teach you everything you need to know to build strong wholesale foundations. Over the course of 4 weeks, we tackle your product line, sales tools, and marketing plan, and we even talk about how to exhibit at trade shows if that's what you want to do. We start with your product line and go into everything from how often you should be releasing new products to ensuring that your numbers are sustainable for the wholesale market and their price for profit. Then we move into sales tools you must have for selling wholesale so you make a strong first impression with buyers like catalogs and your terms and conditions. Then, we cover marketing strategies and ways to reach various store owners. Each week's teachings build on the previous week, and we host weekly live engaging coaching calls to answer all of your questions. We will open enrollment for our next round of Paper Camp soon, and we sell this program out every time we run it. Join the wait list and you’ll get early access to enroll. SIGN UP NOW You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/357 Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp
	26 Sep 2017	023 \| Jon Acuff on misconceptions around productivity and goal setting, how to set yourself up for success and why it’s ok to let yourself be bad at certain things!	00:32:47
New York Times Best-selling author, Jon Acuff has written five books including his most recent, FINISH which focuses on goal setting and follow-through . Jon has helped some of the biggest brands in the world tell their story, including The Home Depot, Bose, Staples, and the Dave Ramsey Team. He’s spoken to hundreds of thousands of people at companies such as Microsoft, Nissan and Comedy Central. On today’s episode we’re talking about misconceptions around productivity and goal setting, how to set yourself up for success and why it’s ok to let yourself be bad at certain things! ON TODAY’S EPISODE: The biggest misconception that people have about productivity and goal setting Jon’s career path and how he wrote five books & made the New York Times best-seller list How his life has shaped what he writes about in his books Why he wrote Finish Why Jon thinks that perfectionism kills productivity The benefits of being bad at certain things The role data and measurement play in reaching goals Jon’s thoughts on whether utilizing past data is helpful The social media platform that Jon thinks is most effective in growing your business Mapping out action steps to get to his bigger goals When do you need to plan and at what point do you just need to jump in and start things Jon’s advice to to product-based business centers who struggle with the follow-through on projects The two main forms of motivation The balance between money and passion How shame influences setting goals, reaching those goals, and running businesses Accountability and its influence on goal setting The role that luck plays in growing a business KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “I would say one of them is the myth of the huge, massive, scary goal. People say, "Aim for the moon, because even if you fail, you'll land amongst the stars," but that's not what really happens, either in research or in real life.” - Jon Acuff “Most people grade on a pass/fail scale when it comes to goals.” - Jon Acuff “Grow something or build something, that even if it's not wildly successful, your life is better.” - Jon Acuff “Starting is fun, but the future belongs to finishers." - Jon Acuff “When you go to a race, you stand at the beginning or the finish. The middle is pretty lonely. That made me want to write a book that would help somebody get through the middle.” - Jon Acuff “Every book I've ever written hasn't been perfect. I like to say it this way. Amazon has never sold a perfect book. They have just sold millions of books by brave, imperfect people.” - Jon Acuff “The longer you wait to get something perfect, you're going to miss your window of opportunity.” - Katie Hunt “Perfect to me means you're not trying hard enough and you're not doing new things.” - Jon Acuff “You have a choice, shame or strategy. Shame says I should be able to get it all done and then when you can't, you feel ashamed. Strategy says, these three things, I'm not even going to care about them.” - Jon Acuff “What I like about data is, data tells the truth. Data is not swayed by emotion.” - Jon Acuff “If you're a small business, there's actions you can do every day, even as you plan.” - Jon Acuff “Almost every business I work with undercharges. Especially if it's a small business.” - Jon Acuff “The balance is, you don't get to do the passion very long if the profit isn't there.” - Jon Acuff “The problem is, a lot of us have trouble starting goals because we've lied to ourselves so many times that we don't even believe it.” - Jon Acuff “We're not supposed to do this alone. Running a business is a very isolating experience”. - Jon Acuff CONNECT: Buy Finish: http://amzn.to/2jpW7XZ Jon’s Website: https://acuff.me/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjonacuff Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonacuff/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jonacuff/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/jonacuff You can purchase Jon's Books on Amazon using the links below: Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done Start: Punch Fear in the Face, Escape Average, and Do Work That Matters Do Over: Rescue Monday, Reinvent Your Work, and Never Get Stuck Quitters: Closing the Gap Between Your Day Job & Your Dream Job JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY: Do you enjoy listening to our Podcast and learning from our guests as they discuss how they grew their businesses? Interested in learning more actionable steps that you can implement into your business? Check out our Business Camp E-Course. ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode.
	14 Nov 2017	030 \| Kyle Durrie, Power and Light Press on tradeshows, transitions and how she raised $80,000 for Planned Parenthood	00:42:30
Kyle Durrie is the founder of Power and Light Press, a ship-shape letterpress print shop built to handle all of life’s messy emotions. On today’s episode we covered a lot of ground including the pros & cons of different trade shows, how Kyle has grown her team and why she makes travel and down-time an important part of her life. We also talked about how Kyle has donated over $80,000 to Planned Parenthood through the selling of her Stand with Planned Parenthood Tote bags - how she did it, her motivations for giving back and how she dealt with public backlash. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Power and Light Press, and the products they make Hiring on help when you can’t do it all anymore Kyle’s background and what led her to letterpress What lead her to start her own business & her favorite part of being a business owner Her Power and Light Press team and the roles they play The pros and cons of different trade shows Donating $80,000 to Planned Parenthood and her motivations behind it How Kyle handles negative attention and “trolls” How she structured the tote and the donations Why she makes travel and downtime an important part of her life The advice she would give to somebody wanting to start a product based business What’s next for Power and Light Press KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “You need to balance between what your interests are, what your passion is, but then also, what's the best use of your time.” - Katie Hunt “I do love being my own boss. I love setting whatever weird schedule I want to stick to.” - Kyle Durrie “When I step back and think that I make a living and help support other people's lives by making stupid greeting cards, I'm constantly blown away by that.” - Kyle Durrie “It makes such a difference to have a team you can trust, that you have confidence in, for when you can't be there.” - Kyle Durrie “It was all for a good cause and I still believe in it and I am really proud of what we've done and what my team has managed to do.” - Kyle Durrie “I made this product and I better stand behind it and know what I'm talking about because I was being challenged, and I think that was really useful for me to not just throw some meme up online and then walk away.” - Kyle Durrie “It's got to make sense for your business because all the good will in the world, if it ends up putting you out of business, it maybe isn't ... Maybe it wasn't the best idea.” - Kyle Durrie “You can do good in the world without it being a drain on your business or without it negatively impacting the sustainability of your company.” - Katie Hunt “It's always been a really important part of my life to kind of resettle me and to re-inspire me to just make me feel like a complete human being.” - Kyle Durrie “It's really such a good time for me to reflect and step away from my personal life, from my work life, and just kind of re-figure myself out.” - Kyle Durrie “It makes such a huge difference when you're not stressed out because your rent is $1500. You don't need that right away. Start in your closet or wherever you have some space and then just kind of grow as it demands” - Kyle Durrie “ I think there are a lot of people nowadays that want just the playbook or whatever it might be, and the fact of the matter is, even with a playbook you've still got to go through the trial and error of learning and figuring out what works best for you.” - Katie Hunt LINKS: Website: www.powerandlightpress.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/powerandlightpress/ JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY: Do you want to scale your business and add new revenue streams? Are you ready to get a handle on your cash flow and tuck money away for retirement? Maybe you are interested in increasing your visibility and fine-tuning your marketing outreach? Perhaps you have a team that you want to nurture or need help building your team? Our newest on demand program, Paper Camp+ can help you with all of these things and more. The program includes 5 keynote presentations and 2 panels from a wide range of business experts. You can watch what you need, when you need it most and revisit the videos as often as you’d like. This course was built for anyone running a product based business, and extends way beyond the paper industry. Enroll at www.tradeshowcamp.com/pcplus ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!
	06 Jun 2017	007 \| Meg Sutton, Belle & Union Co., on research & development of new products, working with sales reps, goal setting and why it is important to remember that running a business is a marathon, not a sprint.	00:36:13
For full show notes and access to additional resources for this episode, visit: prooftoproduct.com/007 Meg Sutton of Belle & Union Co., started her business in 2012 with a focus on creating handmade, American-made goods. Belle & Union has seen a ton of growth in their business in the last five years expanding from the world of letterpress greeting cards into textiles, home goods, kitchen wares and paper gift products. On today’s episode, Meg and I talk about research & development of new products in the handmade space, working with sales reps, goal setting and how running a business is a marathon, not a sprint. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: [01:00] Meg’s story of starting Belle & Union Co. [03:00] Diving head first into her business, launching wholesale & retail at the same time. [05:00] Finding her niche and expanding into gift and foodie products. [07:30] Why B&U focuses on creating handmade, American made products. [9:00] Research & development of new products. Determining if profit margins work for new items. [10:30] Struggles of making American made goods while maintaining profit margin. [11:30] Costs is a large factor in determining what new products to move forward with. [13:00] Focus on handmade allows Meg to control quality of her products. [15:00] Working with sales reps & why she waited to sign with one. [18:00] Providing sales reps with the right sales tools to do the job. [22:30] Trade shows are a marathon, not a sprint. [26:00] Systems around new product releases [27:00] Outsourcing social media management & planning out content. [29:00] Goal setting and what that looks like for Meg. [32:30] What’s next for Belle & Union Co. KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “I wanted one order. That's all I wanted. And I walked away I think with close to 50 orders at that show, it was an incredible feeling” - Meg Sutton on her first trade show “I can tell you personally, there is an end to Google, it does end.” - Meg Sutton on research & development. “Our American-made goods are going to be around the same cost as something made overseas. And I think that's a really big accomplishment.” - Meg Sutton “We did cutting boards for a little while and I loved them, they fit the brand great but we really just weren't making our margins on them. So at the end of the day it just didn't make sense [to produce them].” - Meg Sutton ‘Your sales reps are part of your team, and you need to make sure they have the tools that they need to do the job” - Katie Hunt “It’s a marathon not a sprint.” - Meg Sutton “A lot of us wear a lot of hats, so we juggle all of them and keep the business moving forward” - Meg Sutton “Now we plan out content, we have a content calendar and a schedule that we follow. And it shows. We’ve seen growth in the last six months not only in our followings but that translates to sales.” - Meg Sutton I would encourage people to take the time to write out their purpose or their mission statement. Writing it down completely changed my perspective and enabled growth. - Meg Sutton MEET MEG SUTTON: It all started in 2012 with a relationship: a Southern art student and a Northern soldier fell in love along the sandy beaches of Tybee Island and the shady moss-draped oaks of Savannah, Georgia. Everything you'll find at Belle & Union Co., is steeped in Southern hospitality, from the deepest grooves of our letterpress greeting cards to the very (literal) fiber of our signature tea towels: all proudly American made. We've got a soft spot for vintage American wit and wisdom and goods that tote a bit of a foodie twist. To us, nothing says home and comfort quite like the scents of Mawma's kitchen; it's the heart of the home and the memories made in it feed our souls. Website: http://www.belleandunion.com/ Facebook: @belleandunionco Instagram: @belleandunionco Twitter: @belleandunionco JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY: Interested in learning more about launching or refining a wholesale line or exhibiting at trade shows? Join us for our next Paper Camp conference in Los Angeles. Get more details and register at www.tradeshowcamp.com/papercamp ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode.
	07 Jul 2020	161 \| Optimizing Our Website with Jessica Freeman, Jess Creatives	00:38:27
Hey friends! Did you know that when someone lands on your website you only have 5 seconds to capture their attention? That’s not a lot of time, so I wanted to bring on an expert to help you better understand how you can maximize those 5 seconds and get people to stick around longer. Whether you’ve been in business for many years or are just getting started you’re in for a treat with this guest, Jessica Freeman. Jessica Freeman is the founder of Jess Creatives. She is a web designer, tech strategist, and an expert in all things SEO and website optimization. Jessica is someone who has a wealth of knowledge in this field and has been a huge help to me and my business for the last five years. She shares so much helpful insight today about leveraging keywords for SEO (including how to research keywords and where to put them on your website). We talk about the mistakes many business owners make on their websites so you know exactly what to avoid! We chat about everything from navigation bars and product thumbnails to her thoughts on using carousel images. She also shares tools you can use for research and analyzing your audience’s behavior. Be sure to stick around to the end to hear the three takeaways that I want you to get from this episode! ON TODAY’S EPISODE: The biggest mistakes she sees people making on their websites Strategies you can utilize to maximize the first 5 seconds that a visitor arrives on your website Why Jessica doesn’t recommend using carousel images on your website Her advice on minimizing the number of navigation buttons Jessica’s thoughts on putting product thumbnails on your homepage Why SEO is important for online businesses (especially product-based business owners) How to do keyword research for your SEO strategy The details you should be looking for when doing your keyword searches Where you should include keywords on your website How often you should look at Google Analytics and the things you should analyze Her thoughts on heat map tools and how to use them to better understand your audience Jessica’s advice for new business owners on optimizing their websites from the start The advice she has for seasoned business owners on gaining more visibility on Google searches For full show notes and resources, head to: bit.ly/PTPEp161 Small Wins Lead to Big Wins Building a business is a long game, won with patience, fortitude, intentional decisions and passion. Slow sustainable growth is how strong businesses are built and we want to help you get there. Join Proof to Product Labs, our new community experience OPEN NOW! SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!
	15 May 2018	057 \| Christine Miller, Bundle Design on turning her hobby into a business, lessons learned from the National Stationery Show and how exhibiting at NSS opened the door to working with Paper Source	00:31:18
TSBC alum, Christine Miller is the creator and designer of Bundle Design — home to cheerful, cheeky greeting cards, balloons, party supplies and Good Day Decals. On today’s episode Christine shares her journey of turning her hobby into a business, lessons learned from exhibiting at the National Stationery Show and how being at the show opened the door to working with Paper Source. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: What Christine was doing before Bundle Design How starting her family influenced her decision to step away from her full time job Starting her business a hobby and a creative outlet after having her son and transitioning it to a business a few years ago Opening her Etsy shop in 2011 and what made her realize that Etsy may not be the best path for her Making the decision that wholesale was the direction she wanted to go The difficulty she faced in establishing her own brand identity and creating products that had a cohesive aesthetic How her style has changed over the years The fears and concerns she had going into her first National Stationery Show and the mistakes she made The importance of sending out mailers and advertising your booth number to anyone and everyone prior to the show The changes Christine made her second year at the National Stationery Show Meeting the Paper Source buyer at the show and how it has been fruitful even years later The advice Christine would give to someone just starting out in a product based business The goals she is setting for herself and for Bundle Designs What’s next for Bundle Designs KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “My mentality is, "Well, if I just make it people will just buy it." Unfortunately it doesn't quite work that way.” - Christine Miller “When you're developing a line, one of the most important things is to have a unique style, a brand that's recognizable.” - Christine Miller “The biggest fear is no one is going to buy anything.” - Christine Miller “That first year, my mantra was, ‘Okay, I want to make sales but if I don't make sales at least I'm still learning this and I'm making connections and I'll know more for the next year.’” - Christine Miller “Your booth number is your address on the show so you want to make sure that you're telling everyone where you're going to be at all times, add it to your social media profile, your bio. Make sure you're sending out those mailers, include it in the footer of your emails that go out. Don't keep that a secret, shout it from the rooftops where you're going to be.” - Katie Hunt “I never would've made that connection had I not been to the show. I'm sure I could've found out her information another way, LinkedIn or asking around and things like that, but I think her maybe seeing it in person gave it a little bit of an edge when they made their final selections.” - Christine Miller “I've always had the mentality of slow and steady. So, if I'm making steps, even if they're small steps, I'm moving in the right direction then that's what I'm always striving for.” - Christine Miller LINKS: Portfolio Center National Stationery Show Paper Camp Paper Source Farewell Paperie CONNECT WITH CHRISTINE: Website: http://bundledesign.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BundleDesignOnline Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bundledesign/ THE BOOTH BLUEPRINT: If you’re gearing up for trade show season and need help creating a beautiful booth that doesn’t break the bank, I want to invite you to my free masterclass. I’m sharing my three secrets to maximize your trade show investment and keep wholesale orders coming in long after you trade show end. To join me for this free workshop, head to www.theboothblueprint.com to register! SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!
	12 Dec 2023	322 \| Navigating the Ups & Downs of Entrepreneurship with Katie Hunt	00:43:39
Hey everyone! I was recently on Shirlee Fisher's podcast, The Tillage Podcast, where we talked about a variety of topics: how to navigate challenges during a crisis, how to make informed decisions with my four-factor framework, how to embrace knowing your numbers as a neutral tool for success and so much more. I had such a good time that I asked Shirlee if I could air the episode on our podcast, so that's this week's episode! You can check out more great episodes on Shirlee's podcast, just look up The Tillage podcast on whatever podcast app you listen to. You can also follow Shirlee on Instagram at @thetillagepodcast. Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp
	15 Jun 2021	209 \| Should I Invest In an In-Person Trade Show Right Now with Katie Hunt	00:14:44
Are in-person trade shows worth it right now? This is a question that came up in my community recently in my LABS group coaching call. Jodi, a member of Proof to Product LABS was feeling unsure of where to focus her efforts: trade shows? A big marketing push? In this episode, I am going over my 4 ideas for this client to help her meet her goals within her budget. As more things begin to reopen it’s no surprise that many are wondering where they should invest their time and energy. You’ll hear why you should first get clear on your bigger picture goals. I also go over my ideas for the suggested opportunities she could pursue along with the pros and cons of each. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Why you should keep your goals top of mind when investing in your business [2:05] Should I invest in an-in person trade show as the world starts to open up after Covid? [2:29] My 4 ideas for Jodi meet her goals while staying within her budget [3:58] The pros of doing a trade show [4:26] Questions and cons to consider for trade shows [5:07] What a road show is and the benefits of this option [5:43] The cons of a road show [6:36] Why I suggested a marketing campaign for her [7:16] The pros of a big marketing push [8:03] The cons of investing in a larger marketing roll out [8:30] Why she should consider hiring an in-house salesperson [9:25] Benefits of hiring someone to do sales in-house [9:36] The downsides of hiring someone for in-house sales [11:02] FOR FULL SHOW NOTES, RESOURCES AND A TRANSCRIPT, HEAD TO BIT.LY/PTPEP209 SLOW STEADY GROWTH ARE HOW STRONG BUSINESSES ARE BUILT If you want support from our community, coaching with me and resources to help you continue thriving as you grow your business, be sure to check out my Proof to Product LABS program. It’s my 12-month group coaching program built specifically for product based business owners: https://www.prooftoproduct.com/labs FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates: https://www.instagram.com/prooftoproduct/ JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. Be sure SUBSCRIBE, REVIEW and SHARE Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know!
	23 Jul 2019	113 \| Why you can’t rely solely on social media for sales with Nicole Walters, The Monetized Life	00:29:27
Have you ever come home from a long day at your corporate job and realized like, “Okay, so my job is feeding my family, but definitely not my soul.” What do you do? Well, today's Proof to Product guest is telling us how she figured it out. By age 28, Nicole Walters was a highly-paid executive at a Fortune 500 company, managing multibillion dollar accounts, but something wasn’t right. So Nicole quit her corporate job, and she made waves when she quit in front of 10,000 people while live streaming on Periscope. She went on to open her own private business and product development consulting firm, The Monetized Life. As Nicole’s audience ramped up so did her revenue—she made $11,000 in the first three weeks of working with small business clients full time. Now, when she’s not hanging out with her husband and their three foster kids, she shares her secrets to earning “passive income” with other entrepreneurs through her wildly popular online course, 1K1Day. “I teach people how to add commas to their bank accounts,” says Nicole. “They learn that they don’t have to trade time for money.” On today's episode, Nicole and I sit down to talk about common mistakes she sees eager entrepreneurs making and why old school sales strategies still work. We also talk about why you can't rely solely on social media for sales, the importance of having multiple revenue streams and why you need to treat your business like a business from day one. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Common mistakes Nicole sees eager entrepreneurs making Tips on where to focus your marketing time and money The problem of relying on social media platforms Benefits of sticking with the old school methods What really gets customers in the door How to make a 40-50 hour work week feel like 4 hours The lessons Nicole took from corporate life and applied as an entrepreneur Her strongest marketing tool today Nicole’s favorite success stories How saying no is a form of self care Advice for brand new business owners and entrepreneurs experiencing growing pains The importance of acting like a business from the get-go What success looks like for Nicole today KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “If the only place that you're selling is on your social media platform, well guess what? It's not yours. You don't own it.” - Nicole Walters “Word of mouth is still good. So all that matters that you're actually able to get to people who have mouths and are able to spread the word. Old School still works.” - Nicole Walters “Make sure that you're telling your story authentically and being honest about who you are. Because if you do that, if you tell your true story, well guess what? You'll never get it wrong.” - Nicole Walters “Wear your heart on your sleeve, because it's that same heart that'll put cash in your pocket.” - Nicole Walters “It was time for me to quit and I decided to do in grand fashion. I decided that I wasn't just going to burn the bridge behind me. I was going to singe it and blow away the ashes.” - Nicole Walters “I was ready to become an entrepreneur. So instead of taking those tools to fat cats at multi-billion dollar companies, I'm taking them to everyday entrepreneurs who are using them to feed their families and their souls.” - Nicole Walters “I get to see the change and the transition and the transformation in people's families and livelihoods. Being able to really put money into people's pockets instead of watching it go to a new Gulfstream jet or a new golf membership at a country club, you know, it's really, really rewarding. And I love it.” - Nicole Walters “I’ll be the first one to tell you if I'm doing my job well, guess what? We shouldn't work together forever.” - Nicole Walters “Look at the quarterlies, look at your revenue and your expenses, all of it. There might be certain quarters that are slow, but if you can plan for that and know about that in advance, it just sets you up for the longterm.“ - Katie Hunt “I'm a mom and I'm married and the other side of it is honestly, I couldn't keep up with my business if I didn't get healthy. That's the reality of it.” - Nicole Walters “There's this misconception of self care, that it’s going and getting a manicure and/or like, you know, or going to get coffee or whatever and it's like self care comes in so many different forms.” - Katie Hunt “I'm allowed to say no to things that don't serve me because if I say no, then I'm taking care of the things that do serve me. And that is a form of self care.” - Nicole Walters “You want to seize opportunities, but at the same time you need to protect your time and your sanity.” - Katie Hunt “Act like a business if you want to get paid like one, get out there and get your legal stuff in order. Make sure that you understand the importance of finances, quick books, getting all that stuff done and I know it's big and scary.” - Nicole Walters “The minute you take a dollar, you are acting like a business and you need to get paid like one.” - Nicole Walters “Sometimes we get in our own way, we overthink things or we don't relinquish control when we need to or we're afraid to bring on more team members to handle things because we think nobody can do it the way we can.” - Katie Hunt LINKS Website: http://nicolewalters.tv Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MonetizeThyself/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicolewalters/ Periscope: https://www.periscope.tv/NapturalNicole Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/napturalnicole Twitter: https://twitter.com/napturalnicole SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!
	25 Oct 2022	270 \| Opening a Retail Store Front with Lisa DiVito, Tiramisu Paperie	00:40:29
Is a retail store an avenue you’ve been wanting to explore in your product-based business? Lisa DiVito of Tiramisu Paperie joins us today to share her own experience in opening a retail store as an additional revenue stream to her already successful wholesale business. Listen in as she shares what she’s learned through the process and shares advice for anyone looking to open a brick-and-mortar store. Today’s episode is brought to you by our Email Marketing For Product Makers guide which will help you map out a year’s worth of marketing emails in under an hour. If you’ve ever struggled with what to say or how many emails to send to either your wholesale or Direct to Consumer customers, then this tool is for you. GRAB THE GUIDE You can view full show notes and more at prooftoproduct.com/270 If you're currently feeling stretched thin, needing to refocus within your business, or you just want to connect with other product makers who are starting and scaling their sales and marketing, come join us in Proof to Product LABS. We'll be opening up the doors again at the end of the year and everyone on our waitlist will get early access to secure your seat. JOIN THE WAITLIST
	16 May 2017	004 \| Kristen Ley, Thimblepress on hiring from within, fostering a team environment, partnerships & collaborations and how she fell into business backwards.	00:45:23
For full show notes and access to additional resources for this episode, visit: prooftoproduct.com/004 Kristen Ley is the sole owner and founder of Thimblepress, a lifestyle brand that focuses on creating products and experiences that make you smile and want to celebrate life's moments, big and small. Kristen created Thimblepress out of her garage in 2012 and the company has seen tremendous growth since then. She now has a team of 15 full-time and part time employees and the company occupies 7000 square feet that includes 2 brick and mortar retail locations. Kristen’s products are now sold in over 1500 retail stores internationally and she continuing to work with brands to create unique collaboration and partnership opportunities! Kristen attended Tradeshow Bootcamp in 2013, prior to launching to the wholesale market. On today’s episode we’re talking about hiring from within, fostering a team environment, things to consider when entering professional partnerships and how she fell into business backwards. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: [01:00] Thimblepress’ story [02:00] Two ways to start a business: Intentionally or falling in backwards. [03:00] Naming Thimblpress [05:30] Making the jump to wholesale & googling what wholesale means. [08:00] HIring and growing the Thimblpress team & promoting from within. [12:30] Using partnerships & collaborations to diversify revenue streams [13:00] Setting clear expectations in partnerships with contracts. [15:30] Collaborating with Hallmark [17:00] Negotiating & protecting yourself when big brands want to work with you. [18:30] Transitions, shifting in business & what she credits her success to. [23:00] Kristen’s advice on product development and how she gathers new ideas. [26:00] Thimblepress’ social media tips, planning tools & how far out they schedule their posts. [33:30] Creating sub-brands to reach different markets [39:00] Taking a break from trade shows this year. KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “I think there's two ways you start a company. You literally fall into it from a hobby or you start with a purpose of wanting to start a company.” - Kristen Ley “Sometimes our line is very eclectic and just all over the place. Honestly, that's my personality. I used to get really down and out about it. I was like, "Man, I wish I had a more cohesive look to all my products, like Megan Bellannion." I feel like she has a great cohesive look. I sat there one day and I thought, "You know what though? This is totally my personality." I'm wacky, and crazy, and weird. I love lots of color. I love drawing. I love painting. I love trying new things. Truly, this line is my personality come to life. Because I never wanted to ask for help, but I've learned how to now.” - Kristen Ley “We're very picky with all of our products and make sure they're the highest of quality standards.” - Kristen Ley “I never want to stop learning and stop trying to make Thimblepress better. Because I think when you stop, you become complacent.” - Kristen Ley Running a business can get very uncomfortable at times because you are making tough decisions that play into the longevity of the business, the sustainability of the business. If you’re not feeling a little uncomfortable in whatever you’re doing, then you’re doing something wrong. - Katie Hunt “Your products need to solve a problem for your customer” -Katie Hunt “Social media is intended to be social. It is a place to have conversations” -Katie Hunt “You don’t need to do trade shows to have a successful wholesale line.” - Katie Hunt “I’ve always done things how I wanted to do it. March to the beat of my own drum and not let the industry decide for me.” -Kristen Ley LINKS: Paper Camp Thimblpress Shop Thimblepress for Target (the secret March release she alluded to!) Grum.co MEET KRISTEN LEY: Kristen Ley is the sole owner and founder of Thimblepress®, a lifestyle brand that focuses on creating products and experiences that make you smile and want to celebrate life's moments, big and small. I created the company out of my garage in 2012 and since then have been going strong, growing my team, and continuing to develop products that I truly love. I create all the art for every single one of our products. Thimblepress now has a team of 15 full-time and part time team members, occupies 7000 square feet, has 2 brick and mortar retail locations, is sold in over 1500 retail stores and is continuing to work with other brands to create unique collaboration opportunities! Website: thimblepress.com Facebook: @thimblepress Instagram: @thimblepress Pinterest: @thimblepress Twitter: @thimblepress JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY: Interested in learning more about launching or refining a wholesale line or exhibiting at trade shows? Join us for our next Paper Camp conference in Los Angeles. Get more details and register at www.tradeshowcamp.com/papercamp ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode.
	04 Mar 2021	Special Edition \| Paper Source Files for Bankruptcy	00:04:45
I wanted to share this quick, informational episode on the recent announcement from Paper Source about them filing for bankruptcy on March 2, 2021. In the last few weeks, members of our community have shipped hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of products to Paper Source. Paper Source placed large orders ($9K, $15K, etc) from small independent businesses and in many cases asked companies to move up their ship dates (send them sooner). With the recent news, this is a huge hit to independent brands who now don’t know if they will get paid. I’m not an attorney nor do I have experience with bankruptcy in a B2B setting but in this episode, I am sharing some thoughts and advice I have for those affected by this news. Keep an eye on the show notes from today’s episode and my Instagram feed @prooftoproduct. I’ll share additional resources & information as they become available on the website at https://www.prooftoproduct.com/podcast-episodes/paper-source-bankruptcy ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Advice for small business owners affected by Paper Source filing for bankruptcy RESOURCES: Instagram
	04 Apr 2020	Special Edition \| CARES Act Resources for Small Businesses	00:39:00
I sat down with my financial planner, Mary Beth Storjohann today to talk about financial relief and resources for small businesses available through the CARES Act. Today we’re talking about the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (also called EIDL), the Paycheck Protection Program (also called PPP) and the Deferral of Payment of Payroll Taxes. This is an ever evolving situation right now, so Mary Beth is sharing the current details with us today, April 3rd. Remember to stay calm, I know things feel stressful right now but there a a variety of options and forms of aid available to all of us. I encourage you to reach out to your CPAs & financial planners to figure out which plans are best for you. And, if you decide to apply for PPP, apply with the bank that you’re currently doing your business banking with. Check the links below for more information: LINKS: EIDL: https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianthompson1/2020/03/29/getting-cash-for-your-small-business-through-the-cares-act/#c053e4d43a0a https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance Lender Match: https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Info: Borrowers https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options/paycheck-protection-program-ppp https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/PPP--Fact-Sheet.pdf https://www.uschamber.com/sites/default/files/023595_comm_corona_virus_smallbiz_loan_final.pdf https://www.sbc.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/2/9/29fc1ae7-879a-4de0-97d5-ab0a0cb558c8/1BC9E5AB74965E686FC6EBC019EC358F.the-small-business-owner-s-guide-to-the-cares-act-final-.pdf https://www.sba.gov/page/coronavirus-covid-19-small-business-guidance-loan-resources https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/paycheck-protection-program-ppp https://www.visualcapitalist.com/the-anatomy-of-the-2-trillion-covid-19-stimulus-bill/ Small Wins Lead to Big Wins Building a business is a long game, won with patience, fortitude, intentional decisions and passion. Slow sustainable growth is how strong businesses are built and we want to help you get there. Join the wait list for Proof to Product Labs, our new group coaching experience coming soon! SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!
	12 Jul 2022	255 \| Your Emotions Make Your Business Stronger with Kiwi Schloffel, Your Gal Kiwi	00:47:40
Being an entrepreneur is an emotional journey, oftentimes leading you to burnout. Kiwi Schloffel of Your Gal Kiwi joins me to talk about the many challenges that entrepreneurs face as they start and grow their businesses. Throughout this episode, Kiwi and I share personal stories to remind our entrepreneurial friends that you're not alone and that you should focus on building a business that fuels the life you want to lead. You can view full show notes and more at prooftoproduct.com/255 Today’s episode is brought to you by our Proof to Product resource library, which includes my Delegating masterclass, my How to Know If Wholesale is Right for You class, my Booth Blueprint class, and even more resources we’ll be adding soon! Get access to all of these classes inside the Proof to Product resource library! {Get Access Now}
	14 Apr 2020	151 \| Proactively innovating through tough times	00:41:34
Last week I shared how I’m getting back to basics and what I’m focusing on in my business right now. And, today I’m bringing some of my mastermind clients back on the show to talk about how they are proactively taking steps to diversify and strengthen their business. Today’s episode features Lisa Sarmento from Tiramisu Paperie, Kiwi Schloffel from Craft Boner and Sara McNally from Constellation & Co. and Snail Mail Superstar Some key take-aways that I want to point out from today’s episode: This episode is a great example of how different companies have been affected by covid-19. It is also a great reminder that while there are a lot of things happening around us right now that we CAN NOT control. There are a lot of things we do control. We do have power to make changes to our products, shift our messaging and pivot how we’re supporting our customers. I’m really proud of these ladies, and everyone in my mastermind group for being agile and creative in how they are doing business right now. We all need to keep pushing forward — and they are doing just that. Be sure to check out our #papercampalum hashtag on Instagram to see new products, promotions and behind the scenes of the small businesses in our Paper Camp community. I’ve also included the links to today’s guests in our show notes -- thanks for supporting small businesses! LINKS: Proof to Product Mastermind Lisa Sarmento, Tiramisu Paperie - www.tiramisupaperie.com \| @tiramisupaperie Kiwi Schloffel, Craft Boner - www.craftboner.com \| @craftboner \| Youtube Sara McNally, Constellation & Co - www.constellationco.com \| @constellationco \| Snail Mail Superstar Follow the small businesses in our Paper Camp Community on Instagram by using the #papercampalum hashtag SMALL WINS LEAD TO BIG WINS Building a business is a long game, won with patience, fortitude, intentional decisions and passion. Slow sustainable growth is how strong businesses are built and we want to help you get there. Join the wait list for Proof to Product Labs, our new community experience coming soon! SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!
	06 Jun 2023	300 \| Lessons Learned from Successful Entrepreneurs	00:11:12
I am incredibly proud to share our 300th episode of the Proof to Product podcast! It's just incredible to me that we started this show in May of 2017 with one single goal in mind—to become an invaluable business resource for those starting and scaling product based businesses. I think it's safe to say that we have certainly hit that goal. We have produced and published over 150 hours of audio content through this show. Our podcast has been downloaded over 1.1 million times. The Proof to Product Podcast is ranked in the top 1% of all podcasts. Our podcast and programming have helped not only shape the businesses, but also the personal lives of our listeners and our students—and that is something to be proud of. We have used our platform to shine a spotlight on hundreds of our Proof to Product students to share their unique stories, products, and business perspectives, and today is no exception. On today's episode, you will hear from several of our Proof to Product students as they share lessons that they learned throughout their business journey, and more specifically, what they wish they had known when they were starting out. Today's episode is brought to you by our Is Wholesale Right for You private podcast! This free 12 part audio series will help you decide whether wholesale is a good next step for your specific business. After listening to this audio series (in less than an hour), two things will be true. You'll know whether you want to pursue wholesale for your product business, and you'll have the confidence and action steps to get started with wholesale. Sign up for the private podcast today! SIGN UP You can view full show notes and more at prooftoproduct.com/300 I’m so thankful for 300 episodes of the podcast and the community members and students who shared their thoughtful lessons here on the podcast today! If you want to help us celebrate this major milestone, would you mind leaving a five-star rating and writing a review for our podcast on your favorite podcast player? RATE & REVIEW Mentioned in this Episode: Lana’s Shop Odd Daughter Slightly Stationery Twentysome Design Colorbox Letterpress Your Gal Kiwi Rust Belt Love Paperie Proof to Product
	20 Jul 2021	From the Archives \| How to create a wholesale resource page with Katie Hunt	00:05:53
Katie Hunt, founder of Tradeshow Bootcamp dives deeper into how to create a wholesale resource section on your website, something she and Rhonda Warren talked about briefly on episode 61. Katie shares what to include in your resource center, how to structure things and why it is important to make it easy for your wholesale customers to buy. Listen to Episode 61 Here: http://tradeshowcamp.com/prooftoproduct061/ For full show notes and resources, head to: https://www.prooftoproduct.com/podcast-episodes/how-to-create-a-wholesale-resource-page-with-katie-hunt SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!
	07 Jun 2021	Welcome to Proof to Product	00:01:05
Proof to Product takes you behind the scenes of growing a product-based business. Join us each week as our Paper Camp alumni, speakers and friends share their successes, struggles and how they’ve made difficult but important transitions in their business to continue growing. You’ll gather inspiration, learn about new resources, and hear new ways of scaling your creative business. Proof to Product is hosted by founder, Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has helped thousands of product based business owners get their products on the shelves of retail shops big and small. Find show notes and additional resources at prooftoproduct.com.
	02 Aug 2022	258 \| Scaling to 500 Wholesale Accounts with Brittany O'Brien, Brittany Paige	00:31:30
Deciding to sell wholesale is the first step to scaling your business, but what are the next steps to being successful in it? Brittany O’Brien of Brittany Paige joins us to share the top three contributors to her wholesale success, how she overcame her fear of rejection, and a few tips she has for brands just getting started in wholesale. Plus, she’s sharing a little insight on her experience in growing the retail side of her business while having fun with TikTok! You can view full show notes and more at prooftoproduct.com/258 Today’s episode is brought to you by Paper Camp, our 4-week program that takes the guess-work out of selling wholesale. When you follow the strategies and methods in Paper Camp, you’ll not only feel more confident but you’ll reach your wholesale goals faster. Come join the waitlist to be the first to know when we open the doors for the next round of Paper Camp! {JOIN THE WAITLIST}
	28 Jun 2022	We're on summer break!	00:01:10
The Proof to Product podcast team and I are practicing what we preach and are taking the next two weeks off to bask in the summer sunshine! We'll be back with a new episode on July 12 and we have some incredible things lined up for you. Here's what you have to look forward to when we return: Kiwi Schloffel of Your Gal Kiwi and I talk about the emotional and mental load of running a business. I'll also be sharing four ways to measure tradeshow success that doesn't include sales. Plus, we've got some amazing case studies and updates from Paper Camp alumni Brittany Paige of Brittany Paige Designs, Nikki Tyler of Lovely Little Studios, and Christine Herrin of Everyday Explorers— you won't want to miss these! While we're gone, be sure to dip back into the archives. We have over 254 incredible episodes to help you strengthen your business. If you've been thinking about joining us for paper camp, go get yourself on the waitlist. You can do that at prooftoproduct.com/papercamp. We'll open enrollments later this summer. Have a great two weeks and I'll see you on July 12!
	22 Feb 2022	237 \| Navigating supply chain issues & product expansion with Alex Gagné, Chez Gagné	00:36:35
The expansion of your business into wholesale and even new product lines can create exponential growth for your brand, but with that growth comes struggles. In today’s episode, Alex Gagné of Chez Gagné joins us to share about her experience with supply chain issues over the last couple of years, how that created a cash flow issue for her team, and how product expansion unexpectedly saved her business in 2021! For full show notes, resources and a transcription, please head to prooftoproduct.com/237 Listen to Alex’s previous conversation on the podcast at prooftoproduct.com/106 Ready to prepare for your own booth at trade shows? Come join us at Paper Camp where we share everything you need to know about selling wholesale and exhibiting at trade shows. prooftoproduct.com/papercamp
	01 Apr 2025	387 \| 2025 State of Product Industry Survey Now Accepting Submissions	00:06:58
It has been almost one year since we conducted our 2024 State of the Product Industry survey, and we are back doing it again. So from now until April 11, our 2025 State of the Product Industry Survey is open, and we wanna hear from you and all of your physical product-based business owner friends. You can head to prooftoproduct.com/2025survey to share your responses with us, and I encourage you to do it sooner than later and then help to spread the word. As a recap, in last year's survey, we found out a lot of information. We asked about annual revenue, take home pay, the revenue streams that people were utilizing, how much help people have within their business, tech tools that they use day in and day out, and so much more. Last year, we had 925 people respond, and this year, our goal is over 1,000 participants. We're going to dive into many of the same questions and topics that we tackled last year, and I want to do a year-over-year comparison of how things have shifted. We have also added new topics and questions based on some of your feedback, including how many people are full-time in their business or whether it's a side gig. We’re also asking whether the business is the primary source of revenue for the owner, how businesses are adjusting for tariffs and current economic conditions, whether sales are up or down compared to last year, plus future plans for sales, marketing, and operational strategies. Head to prooftoproduct.com/2025survey to take the 10-minute survey and please share with any other product-business owner friends! Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp
	10 Dec 2019	136 \| How I do my annual strategy planning with Katie Hunt	00:22:56
Hey friends, I have been getting a lot of requests from people curious about how I map out my annual plan for the business, and how I work my family schedule into that. I’m going to be honest, balancing a busy family schedule and a very busy business schedule can be hard. There's a number of things that I need to consider and weigh in on when I'm making decisions in my business. And that really ties into how I plan my year because I don't want to overload myself with too many things, only to do all of them less than stellar. I want to do my best at everything. In this episode, I get granular about how I do my big picture, strategic planning each year for my business so that I'm not overloading myself, my team or my family. I talk about what reports I look at, how I analyze what's working and what's not working to decide which programs, products and services we'll offer the following year. Reports I pull: 2019 YTD Profit & Loss statement 2018 Profit & Loss for year over year comparison 2019 Marketing calendar so I can see where income coordinated with program sales Things I look at for each revenue stream (including any sub-categories): Profitability Time spent Excitement / Passion Level Impact Tools I use: Quickbooks online Downloadable Calendar from MaylemMade on Etsy Huge wall post-its Quick links to thinks I talked about: Paper Camp Mastermind Friends of Proof to Product Facebook group Proof to Product on Instagram SPECIAL OFFER: 3 Free Months of Gusto! Gusto makes payroll, taxes, and HR actually easy for small businesses. Fast, simple payroll processing, benefits, and expert HR support all in one place. Gusto automatically pays and files your federal, state, and local taxes so you don’t have to worry about it. Plus they make it easy to add on health benefits and even 401(k)s for your team. Those old-school, clunky payroll providers just weren’t built for the way modern small businesses work. But Gusto is. Now is the best time to get set up for the new year. Don’t wait. Proof to Product listeners get 3 free months of Gusto when they run their first payroll. Try a demo and see for yourself at http://www.gusto.com/proof SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!
	26 Jan 2021	188 \| Providing Comfort for Grief and Loss Through Products with Janine Kwoh, Kwohtations	00:30:07
Hey friends! It’s no secret that grief is hard. It comes with so many unexpected feelings and emotions. My guest in this episode, Janine Kwoh, the owner and artist behind Kwohtations is no stranger to grief. Her own loss is what inspired her to create a product line to comfort people dealing with the pain of losing a loved one. In this episode, we chat about her business and how she took it from a hobby to side hustle to her full-time gig. She also shares her experiences running her business as a one-woman show. Janine and I chat about her process (she actually letterpress prints each card on an antique printing press and hand paints them all). She even shares her advice for other entrepreneurs and how lack of knowledge can sometimes be a benefit as a business owner! ON TODAY’S EPISODE: What her mission means to her and how it came about How Janine uses her life experiences as the anchor for her products The response she’s gotten from her product line What identity means to her Her transitions from hobby to side hustle to full time in her business Why you have to work on your mindset constantly as a business owner Her production process for her products Janine’s long term vision for her business What types of products Janine creates Her advice for people who are building their businesses How not knowing how to do things can benefit you as an entrepreneur Janine’s self-help book that she’s working on For Full Show Notes and Resources, head to bit.ly/PTPEp188 SLOW STEADY GROWTH ARE HOW STRONG BUSINESSES ARE BUILT Building a business is a long game, won with patience, fortitude, intentional decisions and passion. Inside Proof to Product LABS, you’ll receive the support, education and accountability to move your business towards your goals. Join Proof to Product Labs, our 12-month group coaching program built specifically for product based business owners. SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!
	04 Apr 2023	291 \| Working through feelings of failure & coming out better on the other side with Alyssa Manoleas, Grey Street Paper	00:25:25
Many entrepreneurs are high achievers! We work hard. We go above and beyond. We care deeply about the work we do, whether it's for ourselves or for others. So when things don't go as planned or are even outside of our control, we can sometimes feel like we're failing. Today's guest is Paper Camp Alum Alyssa Manoleas, who makes and sells hand illustrated greeting cards and gifts through her brand Grey Street Paper. Prior to running her business full time, Alyssa worked as a fashion designer in New York, a job that she was great at. She was climbing the corporate ladder, earning more money, gaining titles, but despite being excellent at her job, she was furloughed and then laid off in 2020. On today's episode, we're talking about the mental shift of moving from corporate to entrepreneurship. Alyssa candidly shares how she felt like a failure when she was let go from her corporate job, and how she had to carefully work through the grief tied to that. She also shares how she came out better on the other side with a profitable thriving business that allows her to make a bigger impact. Alyssa also shares the methods that she's using to work towards her goal of 500 wholesale accounts, and why Paper Camp was the best investment that she's made in herself and her business. Today's episode is brought to you by our Is Wholesale Right for You private podcast! This free 12 part audio series will help you decide whether wholesale is a good next step for your specific business. After listening to this audio series (in less than an hour), two things will be true. You'll know whether you want to pursue wholesale for your product business, and you'll have the confidence and action steps to get started with wholesale. Sign up for the private podcast today! SIGN UP You can view full show notes and more at prooftoproduct.com/291
	24 Apr 2018	054 \| Jessica McSweeney, Little Well Paper Co. on shifting from a service based business to a product based business and why relationships are critical in business	00:35:38
Jessica McSweeney is the owner of Little Well Paper Co, a letterpress greeting card company aimed at celebrating and deepening the connections between loved ones. Prior to starting Little Well she taught herself calligraphy and offered wedding calligraphy and invitation services. Jessica’s calligraphy work has been featured in The Knot, Southern Weddings Magazine, and Once Wed. Jess attended Paper Camp in fall 2016 when Little Well was just a spark of an idea, and she launched to the retail and wholesale markets in fall 2017. On today’s episode we’re talking about shifting from a service based business to a product based business, her vision for Little Well Paper Co., and why relationships are critical to building a successful business. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: How she got started her calligraphy business & Little Well Paper Co. Taking online courses to learn calligraphy The impact relationships within the wedding industry had on her business What the calligraphy side of her business looks like now What prompted Jessica to create Little Well Paper Co. The most challenging part of adding a second brand and a new business model How she manages both the retail side and the wholesale side of her business Fostering relationships with her wholesale customers Her decision to do New York Now last minute & her experience sharing a booth The advice she would give to someone just starting out in a product based business What’s next for Jessica McSweeney & Little Well Paper Co. KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “I'm a big believer that business is 90% relationships.” - Jessica McSweeney “To me, to have a card that can be a vehicle to help somebody else start a conversation with someone they love about something that might be really hard like that is just the best thing.” - Jessica McSweeney “So many of the logistical things were things that if I hadn't gone to Paper Camp, I would have no idea about.” - Jessica McSweeney “I felt if I don't change this, I will be way more uncomfortable than if just taking this leap of maybe this won't work out, this new venture.” - Jessica McSweeney “It's important to have a brand voice that carries through everything, that brings in retail people and wholesale people alike.” - Jessica McSweeney “Make sure that what you're doing is something that feels good for you that you can be passionate about that also is not something that is already saturating out there.” - Jessica McSweeney CONNECT WITH JESSICA: Website: http://www.littlewellpaperco.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/littlewellpaperco Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/littlewellpaperco SUBSCRIBE TO PROOF TO PRODUCT: If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!
	09 Aug 2022	259 \| Launching Wholesale & Exhibiting at SF now with Christine Herrin, Everyday Explorers Co.	00:32:55
How do you know you’re ready to exhibit at a trade show and begin selling wholesale? Christine Herrin of Everyday Explorers Co joins us today to give an inside look at how and why she decided to launch to the wholesale market and exhibit at her first trade show this year. Listen in as she shares how selling direct to consumer and wholesale are different, along with a few of the lessons she learned about positioning, pricing and marketing her products to the wholesale market. You can view full show notes and more at prooftoproduct.com/259 You may remember Christine from episode 170 of the Proof to Product podcast where she talked about running her business remotely. Today’s episode is brought to you by Paper Camp, our 4-week program that takes the guess-work out of selling wholesale. When you follow the strategies and methods in Paper Camp, you’ll not only feel more confident but you’ll reach your wholesale goals faster. Come join the waitlist to be the first to know when we open the doors for the next round of Paper Camp! JOIN THE WAITLIST
	27 Aug 2024	359 \| Strengthen Your Brand Identity with Kiwi Schloffel [Inside Look at our LABS Program]	00:27:21
We have all heard that we need to showcase our authentic selves for our businesses, but what does that actually mean? What does that look like in our business? This week's podcast episode features a recent portion of a coffee chat hosted by Kiwi Schloffel held inside of our private LABS program. LABS is our membership for product-based business owners where we talk about how to work smarter, not harder within our businesses, including how we show up as a leader. In this coffee chat, Kiwi touches on a variety of topics, such as the importance of staying true to your brand's identity, how to use personal interest to inject authenticity into your business, and more. This week's podcast episode is brought to you by Kodi Collective, who is also a sponsor of our Paper Camp program. Kodi Collective is a leading omnichannel marketing company that supports B2C and B2B brands and publications. They offer a wide range of print, procurement, and creative production solutions, including digital and offset printing, sourcing, and logistics. They are focused on helping you achieve an integrated marketing mix to reach your audience in meaningful ways. You can learn more about Kodi's services by going to their website. All of our Paper Camp and LABS students get access to a private Proof to Product portal with Kodi, where they get discounted rates on print services and a dedicated sales rep to help us with all of our project management. They provide support throughout the process of getting your project off the ground. So if you are looking for a new print partner, our community has had great experiences working with Kodi Collective. And if you missed our latest round of Paper Camp, click here to get on the waitlist for our next round. You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/359 Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp
	15 Sep 2020	171 \| How to Take Professional Product Photos with Your Smart Phone with Chaitra Radhakrishna, PinkPot Studio	00:37:08
Hey friends! With the world being such a visual place, more and more of our customers are relying on product photography to tell them a story. We only have a few seconds to quickly grab our customers’ attention and get them engaged in what we’re selling. That’s why in this episode I’m talking with Chaitra Radhakrishna. Chaitra is the founder of PinkPot Studio, a Shopify design and photography studio specifically for product-based business owners. Chaitra shared so much valuable information in this episode about how to nail your product photography. You’ll hear about the 7 different product shots that you can take (and tips on deciding which shots to take). She also shares her 5 step process for taking photos with your smartphone which, spoiler alert: you don’t need to invest in fancy equipment or tools. Be sure to listen with a notebook handy because she gives us so many insider tips on using the “rule of thirds”, apps she recommends for editing photos and her secret formula for editing photos in lightroom: making the whites low, turning the highlights up, going high on shadows and low on blacks. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Common mistakes business owners make when it comes to product photography The 7 different product shots all business owners need to know about Her 5 step process for taking product photos with your smartphone Why she recommends shooting on cloudy days What the “rule of thirds” is and why you need to keep it in mind when shooting product shots Her app recommendations for editing photos Chaitra’s opinion on using Lightroom presets What tools she suggests you use in Lightroom instead of presets Her advice on not over editing your photos What services she offers in her business, PinkPot Studio RESOURCES: Rifle Paper Co. Instagram Bloomwold Studio TikTok Snapseed Adobe Lightroom Free 5 Day Product Photography Course MEET CHAITRA: Chaitra is the founder of PinkPot Studio, a Shopify design + photography studio for product-based businesses. With over 4 years of experience in web design & development in the software industry, she started her own design studio in 2015 when she moved from India to the United States. New country, new business - it was nerve-wracking, but luckily her business took off and she never looked back. She thrives on helping women entrepreneurs create a bigger visual impact online and grow their businesses through conversion focused Shopify design and product photography. She has been featured and spoken at Alt summit, Craftcation, Snap conference, ConvertKit and Creative market among others. CONNECT WITH CHAITRA: Website: https://www.itspinkpot.com Instagram: @pinkpot.studio Facebook: @pinkpotxo Pinterest: @pinkpotxo SLOW STEADY GROWTH ARE HOW STRONG BUSINESSES ARE BUILT Building a business is a long game, won with patience, fortitude, intentional decisions and passion. Inside Proof to Product LABS, you’ll receive the support, education and accountability to move your business towards your goals. Join Proof to Product Labs, our 12-month group coaching program built specifically for product based business owners. SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!
	17 Dec 2021	231 \| 2021 Year-End Recap with Katie Hunt	00:09:19
With the new year right around the corner, my team and I have been making time to really reflect on the past year. It’s been a year of introspection–about our businesses, about the state of the world, and about how we balance our work and personal lives. But I’m proud to say that Proof to Product and our students have grown and accomplished more this year than ever before. In today’s episode, I wanted to share all the milestones the Proof to Product team and our students have reached in the past year. Plus, I’m giving you a sneak peek at all the exciting things we’re planning for 2022. You'll learn: How my team and I are reflecting on the year so far Our LABS and Paper Camp students’ big wins What you can expect from us in the new year For full show notes, resources and a transcription, please head to bit.ly/PTPEp231 For more support with your marketing & sales strategies, check out LABS at http://www.prooftoproduct.com/labs
	27 Apr 2021	201 \| LABS Celebrates One Year with Madeline Hunt	00:08:17
Hey friends! This episode is a little different today. The roles were reversed and I was in the passenger seat as I was joined by my daughter, Madeline for an interview. Madeline asks me some of the most commonly asked questions I get about the Proof to Product LABS as we head toward the one year anniversary of the program. Take a listen to get a peek inside of what we do inside of LABS. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Why Katie started Proof to Product LABS When she started thinking about creating LABS Her favorite part about LABS What 3 things she’s added to the program since it started How LABS is different from Paper Camp FOR FULL SHOW NOTES, RESOURCES AND A TRANSCRIPT, HEAD TO BIT.LY/PTPEP201 SLOW STEADY GROWTH ARE HOW STRONG BUSINESSES ARE BUILT Building a business is a long game, won with patience, fortitude, intentional decisions and passion. Inside Proof to Product LABS, you’ll receive the support, education and accountability to move your business towards your goals. Join Proof to Product Labs, our 12-month group coaching program built specifically for product based business owners: https://www.prooftoproduct.com/labs FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates: https://www.instagram.com/prooftoproduct/ JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. Be sure SUBSCRIBE, REVIEW and SHARE Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know!
	05 Mar 2019	094 \| Emily Marks, Carina Paper Co on why discomfort can lead to personal growth & how she strategic plans for her business.	00:30:58
This week we have a great episode in store for you - one that will definitely resonate with any of you who are hustling through a day job to fund your dream job. Emily Marks, once a forensic accountant, took the leap and left a stable job to pursue her passion. She is now the businesswoman behind Carina Paper Co., a stationery company inspired by her Italian heritage and from her heart as a new mom, wife, daughter, and friend. On today's episode, Emily gives us all the details on how she turned her side hustle into a full-time gig. She tells us the reason she left her job with a major accounting firm and how her former role actually helps her in business now. We talk about the importance of strategic planning, project management, and how being in a state of discomfort provides space for personal growth. Finally, we talk about the danger of overthinking things and why sometimes, you just have to go for it. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Emily’s pivot from accounting to stationery Her business launch timeline Planning ahead vs being in the now How she deals with frustrating aspects of the business The need to celebrate what we’ve accomplished Growing into your strengths The importance of prioritizing for future growth When to take that chance KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “Getting the designs out of my head and onto actual products definitely took the longest time, but then all the details came together.” - Emily Marks “I like to try to look at it like my biggest competition is myself.” - Emily Marks “There's enough people in this industry and in this world, and we all can make a good product, if you have something that resonates with people.” - Emily Marks “You can't focus just on today. You have to look at the whole, the last few months, and also give yourself a little bit of a break.” - Emily Marks “Sometimes in that hustle for the next thing, we forget to celebrate what we've accomplished along the way... We need to celebrate the successes that we're having right now.” - Katie Hunt “I'm a firm believer that you only grow and you only learn when you're uncomfortable because I think when you're comfortable, no matter what you're doing in life, it's just status quo.” - Emily Marks “As small business owners, we don't always have a ton of time, or a ton of money, and so how do we balance the different needs in our business, and what we should keep on our plate as the CEO?” - Katie Hunt “You have to make sure every time you're reaching out, you're reaching out with valuable information .” - Emily Marks “Marketing is just an interesting beast, and I think it's something that is always going to be a challenge for me because it's not as systematic.” - Emily Marks “Marketing is not a one and done type of thing, it’s constantly reiterating what you're doing and changing things for the different ways that we can communicate with people.” - Katie Hunt “Especially in the small business world, I think if we spend too much time thinking about it, I won't do it.” - Emily Marks “Let's get stuff out in the world and see what happens, and then go from there.” - Katie Hunt “My biggest piece of advice is, make sure the time is right for you, but just do it. Go out there” - Emily Marks CONNECT WITH EMILY MARKS: Website: http://www.carinapaperco.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/carinapaperco Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/carinapaperco Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/carinapaperco JOIN US FOR PROOF TO PRODUCT’S 100th EPISODE! Call In: http://tradeshowcamp.com/ptp100/ PAPER CAMP E-COURSE Many of you have been patiently waiting for the return of our Paper Camp E-course and I’m excited to tell you that it’s here. This is a 4-week online program that kicks off on June 4th. You’ll get new videos to watch each week on your own and we’ll have a live Q&A call every week with me and special guest experts. But you’ve got to act fast, because registration closes on June 2nd. If you’ve want to see your products on the shelves of retail stores big & small, if you want to launch or refine your wholesale program, or maybe you want to exhibit at large scale trade shows, this is the program for you! We’ll cover product development, sales tools for wholesale, working with reps, marketing to retailers and exhibiting at shows. To learn more and register, head to https://tsbc.teachable.com/p/pce. I look forward to having you there! SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!
	11 Jun 2019	107 \| The long game of licensing & surface pattern design with Jeanetta Gonzales	00:31:59
Welcome back to Proof to Product, all you small business hustlers, and creative entrepreneurs! Today we have a great episode in store for you with guest Jeanetta Gonzales, a Los Angeles-based graphic designer, and illustrator. Jeanetta began her career as a graphic designer working for corporate companies such as WedMD, Mattel and The Disney Store. She later parlayed her digital and fine art skills into surface design working as a textile designer and style guide designer for consumer products and creating illustrations and art that she licenses to manufacturers for products sold online and in major retail stores. On top of all of this, Jeanetta also runs her own online store where she sells her art on print items, mugs, fabric, home decor items and more. On today’s episode, Jeanetta shares her experience with licensing and tells us why you have to be in it for the long game. We talk about why relationships are so important in business, why it’s necessary to create art and products with a unique point of view, and her goal to spread joy through a variety of creative means. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Common misconceptions that creative entrepreneurs have about licensing their work Tips for people that are putting together their portfolio How Jeanetta defines her artistic style and keeps it original The importance of experimenting What it took to overcome fears of failure and success Her 10 year journey of learning and creating When Jeanetta started to see traction in own design work What she learned from tradeshows Being okay with not being perfect Pivoting from her day job and shifting into licensing Jeanette’s favorite products to produce Her advice for other creative entrepreneurs and what’s coming up next KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “I don't really think it's necessary to spend a whole year working on a portfolio or something like that. It's fine if you just have several collections that you're really proud of and get them out there.” - Jeanetta Gonzales “You don't want to be a copycat. You really just want your own work and your own vision and you're own visual point of view to come through.” - Jeanetta Gonzales “I really encourage people to experiment a lot, because that's where the happy accidents happen and that's where you're going to find the things that you really love to do.” - Jeanetta Gonzales “I always had this fire in me since I was a little kid to just do something different. To kind of go against the norm and it took me a long time to really get there.” - Jeanetta Gonzales “Even if you do a show and you're ready for that, and you put heart and soul into it, it's never perfect. You're never going to be as ready as you think you want to be.” - Jeanetta Gonzales “Just when we start to get comfortable in one thing, that's where things take a little bit of a turn. It's part of the growth process, but it is uncomfortable and there is that underlying fear, am I making the right choices?” - Katie Hunt “I’m a firm believer that things happen on the time frame they should. Yeah sure, we could go back and change things, but would we still be where we are today if we did?” - Katie Hunt “In my own journey I've had to go around and around a lot, but it's all good. Now I'm older I can definitely see how it's all coming together.” - Jeanetta Gonzales “It is a long game. You just have to see how that plays out, and just know that if you're going to commit to something like licensing that it's not an overnight thing.” - Jeanetta Gonzales “So much is relationship based. If people know they like you and can trust you and you'll do a great job, it's going to open the door for more licensing opportunities.” - Katie Hunt “When we know where we want to go, it makes it easier to build that path to get there.” - Katie Hunt LINKS Website: http://JeanettaGonzales.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nettdesigns Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nettdesigns/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jeanettag/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/nettdesigns SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!
	19 May 2020	156 \| Successful Hiring Strategies with Natalie Gingrich, The Ops Authority	00:31:54
Hey friends! Are you ready to get back time in your business to work on the projects and tasks that you really love? The ones that will help you to move the needle further toward your goal? If you’ve been busy doing all of the things then you might be wondering if now is the right time to hire in your business. That’s why I brought on Natalie Gingrich from The Ops Authority. Natalie has been in operations for two decades and now she helps online business owners with support and strategy for the operational side of their business. We get into everything you could possibly want to know about the best hiring practices. She shares how you’ll know when is the right time to hire and how you can get crystal clear on the job you’re looking to hire for. Natalie explains why this is critical and how an application is a key component in finding the right team member for the role. She and I discuss how to measure the value that team members are adding to your business. She also discusses why you’ll want to invest a good amount of time in hiring to avoid mishaps like turnover or unrealistic expectations on either side of the hiring process. This episode is packed with so much hiring wisdom so grab a notebook, listen closely and be sure to download Natalie’s free hiring guide for the next time you’re looking to outsource in your business. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: How Natalie knew she was ready to hire her first team member within her business Pain points and indicators to be on the lookout for when deciding if it's time to hire What you should think about when deciding what to DIY and what to outsource How to get crystal clear on what the needs are in your business Why you need to create a true job description to reduce turnover How to find the right people for the job Her advice on choosing the right candidate at the right price for the job How to measure your return on investment using key results areas Natalie’s thoughts on trial periods and onboarding processes How you can use the Hiring Plan for your next hire Her plans for launching an association and what’s coming next in her business For full show notes and resources, head to bit.ly/PTPEp156 Small Wins Lead to Big Wins Building a business is a long game, won with patience, fortitude, intentional decisions and passion. Slow sustainable growth is how strong businesses are built and we want to help you get there. Join Proof to Product Labs, our new community experience OPEN NOW! SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!
	09 May 2024	Bonus \| State of Product Industry Survey	00:03:58
We are seeking 1,000 product-based business owners who are willing to anonymously share their details for the 2024 State of the Product Industry Report: www.prooftoproduct.com/2024survey The data will help you make stronger decisions in your business. It will help you better understand the industry and your competition. It will help you identify growth opportunities. The results will benefit us all. BUT... in order to make this report truly successful, we need you to do the following: Fill out the State of Product Industry survey at prooftoproduct.com/2024survey Share the survey link with your product peers. In exchange for your participation, we’ll share the report with you when it is ready. All physical product-based business owners are invited to apply. No brand is too big or too small. We want to hear from people making a wide range of products and in various stages of business. Thanks in advance for your participation and for sharing this opportunity with your product peers!
	24 Nov 2020	181 \| 6 ways to sell physical products with Katie Hunt	00:16:46
Hey friends! Last week I got an email asking, “Do people really make money selling paper products and gift items?” I was floored! Based on the latest stats that I saw, the consumer products industry accounts for more than $635 billion with stationery alone raking in $8 billion. The answer is an astounding yes. There are so many opportunities in this industry to make a good living and build a profitable and sustainable business. Many independent brands are pulling in over six and seven figures annually. Hear the 6 ways that people are making money selling their physical products in this episode. I break down each one and give a few thoughts on each strategy and give a little bit of advice on choosing a path to get started. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: 6 ways people are making money selling physical products The basics about selling retail What it means to sell wholesale Why I don’t typically recommend consignment What a custom work project looks like What it means to do a licensing deal How you can partner with other brands The path to getting started: choosing the right sales strategy for you RESOURCES: Paper Camp Proof to Product LABS Thimblepress x Moon & Lola collaboration Autumn Witt Boyd The Contract Shop SLOW STEADY GROWTH ARE HOW STRONG BUSINESSES ARE BUILT Building a business is a long game, won with patience, fortitude, intentional decisions and passion. Inside Proof to Product LABS, you’ll receive the support, education and accountability to move your business towards your goals. Join Proof to Product Labs, our 12-month group coaching program built specifically for product based business owners. SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!
	23 Oct 2018	076 \| Kaye Putnam on building a strong brand and how she has created an independent location business.	00:30:23
Kaye Putnam is a psychology-driven brand strategist for entrepreneurs. Through work with hundreds of clients from global brands to solo business owners, she developed The Clarity Code. She believes that when you have a clear brand, that your clients love and respect, they will be willing to pay premium prices for your work. Kaye believes that a strong brand gives you the clarity and confidence to scale your impact and income. When she’s not transforming brands, she’s exploring the world with her husband and two little ones. They love eating their way across their home of Naples, Italy. On today’s episode, we talk about key components of a strong brand, how Kaye has created a location independent business and she shares a branding exercise that you can do right now! ON TODAY’S EPISODE: A misconception that online business owners have about branding How Kaye helps clients define their unique brand advantage How she works with companies to figure out their “why” and the meaning behind what they're doing What key components that go into creating a strong brand The common fears she sees among her clients The challenges Kaye faced early on in her business How her brand culture impacts her hiring decisions How moving every few years has impacted her business and how she works with her clients Kaye’s experience with transitions and how she handles things when they don’t go as planned The things Kaye tells people to take a look at first and foremost to strengthen their brand What’s next for Kaye KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “Instead of trying to mold your brand or mold your business into what you thinking that the market wants from you, it's actually much, much more productive to first figure out who you are at your best, at your strongest.” - Kaye Putnam “Let's name your strength so that you can step into it, and own it.” - Kaye Putnam “You want to build your brand on a truth not trend.” - Kaye Putnam “When you're building a brand, you're building a long-term relationship with your clients and customers.” - Kaye Putnam “It's a feedback loop where you're putting stuff out into the market, you're getting responses from the market, and then you're continually getting better and better being your brand.” - Kaye Putnam “Once we're consistent and cohesive and compelling, then people start to pay attention.” - Kaye Putnam “Scale has always been my arch nemesis, and it's actually where my focus is now.” - Kaye Putnam “Figure out what that higher order movement is behind your brand and that's what also gets your team really excited about building this bigger thing.” - Kaye Putnam “We've been traveling all over Europe for the last couple of years, two toddlers in tow, because this business is set up this way.” - Kaye Putnam “I've had times in my business where I'm really focusing on the business and then you also need to have times where you're really just focusing on life.” - Kaye Putnam “There's a lot to be said for building up your own website or creating the blog post because you own that space, it's not at the mercy of algorithms or Facebook rules or whatever it might be.” - Kaye Putnam “I think people are fearful of repelling people that aren't the right fit but really, it just enables you to take to the right people more clearly and speak to their needs better.” - Kaye Putnam CONNECT WITH KAYE PUTNAM Website: http://kayeputnam.com Facebook: http://facebook.com/marketingkaye Instagram: http://instagram.com/kayeputnam Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/kayeputnam LINKS Free Five Day Challenge: https://kayeputnam.com/miniclass BOOTH BLUEPRINT If you’re gearing up for trade show season and need help creating a beautiful booth that doesn’t break the bank, I want to invite you to my free masterclass. I’m sharing my three secrets to maximize your trade show investment and keep wholesale orders coming in long after you trade show end. To join me for this FREE workshop, head to www.theboothblueprint.com to register! SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!
	31 Oct 2019	130 \| Balancing a Brick & Mortar Shop and Wholesale Line with Meg Sutton of Belle & Union	00:30:06
Are you ready for round two? Because we are! This is the second of two special episodes this week, featuring Paper Camp alumni who are taking us behind the scenes of what it’s like to run a manufacturing business and brick and mortar retail shop simultaneously. Yesterday, on Episode 129 we heard from the Los-Angeles based, Katie Wilson. Now today, on Episode 130, I’m sitting down with Meg Sutton, the founder of Belle & Union, based in San Antonio Texas. Meg first shared her startup story back on Episode 7. If you’re curious about how Meg launched Belle & Union and the motivation behind her products, definitely head back to give that episode a listen. Today we’re diving even deeper into Meg’s business journey. We’re sitting down to talk about how Meg decided to open her brick & mortar shop, how she layered that into her existing business model, and how she keeps perspective through it all. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: - How Meg balances time between wholesale and her shop - The importance of great employees - What Meg does to carve out time for creativity - Some misconceptions about stocking for retail vs wholesale - How Belle & Union has evolved over the years - What Meg wishes she knew before opening her shop - Choosing your location wisely - Advice on how to deal with the unexpected - How diversifying revenue streams has impacted neighborhood visibility - What’s up next for Meg and Belle & Union KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “I need to be better about saying, "Okay, Mondays and Wednesdays from 10:00 to 1:00, that's my creative time. But as any creative knows, you can't really force it.” – Meg Sutton “I'm not a great people manager. I can be a leader. But when it trickles down, like I kind of need somebody else to handle that.” – Meg Sutton “Having a good support system truly helps, especially as you start to scale your business. You can't do it all. You shouldn't be doing it all.” – Katie Hunt “I will be the first to admit I have not been the best about figuring out that balance with my time to the point that I know our product line has suffered because of it.” – Meg Sutton “There are things we're not good at. There are things that drain us. There's things that just we shouldn't have our hands on, or we don't need to have our hands on.” – Katie Hunt “No matter what your business is. Wholesale, retail, pantomiming on the sidewalk, whatever it is, know your numbers.” - Meg Sutton “It's totally appropriate to keep something in the retail space, even if you're not selling it in the wholesale space. I think that's another misconception.” – Katie Hunt “As hard as this last year has been in retail, I don't regret it. I love having the store.” - Meg Sutton “I love the community that we've built, and I want to be able to expand on that even more.” – Meg Sutton LINKS KENDRA SCOTT HOW I BUILT THIS WEBSITE: Belle and Union Co. FACEBOOK: @belleandunionco INSTAGRAM: @belleandunionco TWITTER: @belleandunionco SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!
	30 Aug 2022	262 \| Creating a Marketing Strategy Based on Your Personality Type with Brit Kolo, Marketing Personalities	00:34:06
Have you considered building a marketing strategy based on your personality type? If you’ve found that you don’t enjoy the marketing you’re doing in your business, you’re struggling to manage it, or you don’t think it is working for you, it could be that it does not fit your personality! Brit Kolo of Marketing Personalities has taken the 16 Myers-Briggs personality types and developed marketing plans that align with each. In today’s episode, she joins us to share how you can remove the pressure that comes with marketing and build a marketing strategy that matches your personality, which ultimately feels more natural and delivers more results. You can view full show notes and more at prooftoproduct.com/262 Today’s episode is brought to you by my free Email Marketing For Product Makers Guide, where you’ll learn how to map out 12 months of emails in under an hour and learn more about strategies for wholesale and direct to consumer audiences! GET ACCESS NOW
	31 Jan 2019	090 \| Part 2 - Rachael Hetzel, Pistachio Press and Briana Feola, Brainstorm on why bigger doesn’t always mean better and communicating your core values to attract the right clients, customers and team members	00:33:35
Today is Part 2 of a two-part interview with Rachael Hetzel of Pistachio Press, and Briana Feola of Brainstorm. On Part 1, which was Episode 89, we talked about freedom versus stability, keeping up with the Joneses and overcoming FOMO. If you missed it, I’d recommend heading back to listen to that one first because today we dive into the details of communication, team dynamics, and client and customer relationships, and much more! On Part 2, Rachael and Briana share their thoughts on why bigger doesn’t always mean better, knowing your why and communicating your company’s core values so that you’re attracting the right type of clients, customers, and team members. We also talk about not being afraid to revise your business vision, focusing on projects that align with your ethos and hiring for an overall skill set rather than specific ability. Rachael and Briana have been on the podcast before to share their startup stories. Rachael Hetzel is the owner of Pistachio Press, a boutique letterpress printing and design studio based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Pistachio Press produces a wholesale line of sweet and slightly snarky stationery products that are sold nationally and internationally. Pistachio Press also creates social invitations, business stationery, and prints commercially for a variety of clients. If you want to hear Rachael’s start-up story, head back to check out Episode 11. Briana Feola is the co-owner of Brainstorm, a print shop and collaborative design studio working from a historic mill in Dover, New Hampshire. Brainstorm is rooted in the production of original art prints inspired by science, nature, and the outdoors. They design for people and companies that appreciate the creative process, enjoy collaboration, and want to make something tangible in an increasingly digital world. Briana and her husband, Jason Snyder shared their co-founding story back on Episode 8, so put that one on your listening list too! ON TODAY’S EPISODE: The truth about staying small How to get better at saying no to hiring The intricacies of inviting new employees into your creative space Knowing your strengths and opportunities as a manager The benefits of metrics and benchmarks Why it’s important to find a system that works for you The pros and cons of being your own boss Finding sustainability and satisfaction within KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “It's very difficult to explain our vision, and our life as an art piece to somebody who just sees it as a business. It's just different.” - Briana Feola “I've had multiple right arms of my business, and I try to separate out roles, but it works best for me to have someone that can do all aspects of the business.” - Rachael Hetzel “After 10 years of doing this I know when to say no and this isn't a job I can do. Actually, it's not a job I want to do.” - Rachael Hetzel “Our internal values that we have of my family comes first, and all these different things that are important to me. I think we need to be communicating them in our brand messaging out into the world, to customers and clients.” - Katie Hunt “We do projects when they're fun and if it fits with our schedule ... if it fits within what we are capable of doing, and if we could do it really well.” - Briana Feola “I would respect somebody for saying no, because I know that that was probably a difficult decision for them to make.” - Katie Hunt “We're not out to blanket the world in our products.” - Briana Feola “It’'s hard to say no for yourself in some of those circumstances because there is pressure to bend, there is pressure to maybe go against your priorities, and your values for the business too.” - Katie Hunt “Ultimately it does comes down to gut instinct, and gut feeling, and whether or not we really want to do it.” - Briana Feola “When I'm doing strategic planning for my business I'm not just looking at the numbers...I'm also looking at what's the time commitment that is going to be required of me. What's my excitement level for this project?” - Katie Hunt “Being deliberate is one of the biggest things, and staying true to who you are.” - Rachael Hetzel CONNECT WITH BRAINSTORM: Website: http://wearebrainstorm.com Facebook: http://facebook.com/wearebrainstorm Instagram: http://instagram.com/wearebrainstorm Twitter: http://twitter.com/wearebrainstorm CONNECT WITH PISTACHIO PRESS: Website: http://www.pistachiopress.com Facebook: http://facebook.com/pistachiopress Instagram: http://instagram.com/pistachiopress Twitter: http://twitter.com/pistachiopress PAPER CAMP What if you could sit in a room with 30 other product makers who are doing exactly what you’re doing -- building a business they love! You could share resources, leverage each other’s experiences and learn from those who are where you want to be. Imagine the growth potential! Join us March 14-15th in Los Angeles for our Paper Camp Conference. Over 800 brands have attended Paper Camp. Brands that sell to stores like Target, Paper Source, Container Store, Anthropologie and independent boutiques internationally. This program is for you if you’re a stationery or gift company interested in selling wholesale, exhibiting at trade shows or looking to expand your outreach to wholesale customers. We believe in the power of community, collaboration and sharing everything we know. Get all the details and register at www.tradeshowcamp.com/papercamp SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!
	26 Jul 2022	257 \| Enhance Your Etsy Sales with Lauren Keplinger	00:26:09
Have you found success in selling your products on Etsy? Despite the changes that Etsy has made over the last few years, the search engine is full of value for small businesses to take advantage of in growing their brand. In this episode, Lauren Keplinger joins us to share how you can enhance your Etsy sales through your product listing, keywords, and even mindset about Etsy! You can view full show notes and more at prooftoproduct.com/257 Today’s episode is brought to you by my free Email Marketing For Product Makers Guide, where you’ll learn how to map out 12 months of emails in under an hour and learn more about strategies for wholesale and direct to consumer audiences! Get Access Now
	29 Aug 2023	308 \| Benefits & Challenges of Running Two Brands with Stephanie Clarke, Dahlia Press	00:38:25
If there’s one constant in business, it’s change. But making big shifts as an entrepreneur can be pretty daunting. After all, it’s one thing to plan and strategize, but it’s quite another to take the leap and start implementing those steps. While we usually talk to people who are in the midst of making a big change, today we welcome a returning guest and Paper Camp alum, Stephanie Clarke, for a business update after making some major changes to her company back in 2019. After a decade of running Dahlia Press, a letterpress greeting card company based in Seattle, Washington, Stephanie recognized the need to split the company in two and start a sister brand under the name Chloe Clarke, The Art of Paper, dedicated entirely to bespoke wedding invitations. If you’d like to learn more about how and why she made that transition, you can check out our conversation in Episode 160. In today’s episode, you’ll find out how things have changed since the transition and how Stephanie’s brands are doing today. We delve into the challenges and benefits of running two brands, why she stands by her decision to diversify her business, and how she has matured as an entrepreneur. Stephanie also shares the details of how she expanded her retail footprint post-COVID, what she’s learned from hiring her team (and managing team dynamics), and why it can be so difficult to relinquish control of certain aspects of one’s company. If you’re interested in the logistics of managing two brands and what this decision can look like a few years down the line, be sure to tune in for an insightful and informative update with Stephanie Clarke! Today’s episode is brought to you by our free, on-demand wholesale audio series. In this audio series I’ll walk you through the biggest mistakes and most common questions folks have when they are starting and scaling wholesale—so you don’t make the same mistakes myself and others did. You can binge this audio series in less than an hour and you can listen on the go in your favorite podcast player. No fluff here, just concrete action steps and answers to help you simplify and strengthen your wholesale sales. SIGN UP You can view full show notes and more at prooftoproduct.com/308 Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp
	05 Apr 2022	243 \| Building an Antiracist Business with Trudi Lebrón	00:29:20
Have you put in the work to build an antiracist business? In today’s episode, Trudi Lebrón joins us to discuss how valuable DEI and antiracism work is in small businesses, along with what you can do to create an inclusive community for your business. Listen in as Trudi shares about what led her into DEI work, how business should be personal, and how building an antiracist business begins with self-reflection. You can view full show notes and more at prooftoproduct.com/243 Today’s episode is brought to you by our free resources library, where you can find the tools to start, streamline, and scale your product business. From determining if wholesale is right for you, to designing a tradeshow booth that won’t break the back, to deciding what to delegate in three simple steps, we have the resources for you! Get Free Access Now
	24 Aug 2017	Katie Hunt, TSBC on the benefit of mastermind groups	00:05:12
About a year ago, I was in a funny place.. I was coming back from maternity leave and feeling a bit lost. My business was growing, I was finding my new normal juggling work and family and I had BIG goals I wanted to tackle for TSBC. Yet I was feeling all kinds of resistance and was struggling to take action. Then, I was asked to join a mastermind group with six insanely talented women and my life changed. What's a mastermind? It is a small group of entrepreneurs who are at similar levels in business. The group fosters community, provides accountability and is often led by an expert who provides coaching, guidance and structure to the program. Serious magic happens when I get together with these ladies. Ideas take flight. Challenges feel less burdensome. Resources are shared. Action is taken. Progress is made! My Proof to product podcast is a great example of how influential my mastermind has been in my business. Recording a podcast is something I've wanted to do for years, but never made it a priority until my mastermind group gave me a nudge. I started recording episodes before I even knew what to call the show or when it would launch! I struggled for months to name the podcast on my own, yet in 45 minutes with my mastermind group we came up with the name Proof to Product, sketched the cover art and reserved the URL and social media handles. Something I had been agonizing over for way too long was solved in under an hour! After that, I grew my team, we set up systems for the podcast and we launched the podcast 6 weeks later. Everything fell into place. Momentum propelled me forward. It was magical and I had never experienced anything like it. I was hooked. I strongly encourage all of you to join a mastermind group - whether it’s mine or another one. Amazing things happen when we put our heads together. Learn more about our TSBC Group Coaching and Mastermind program at www.tradeshowcamp.com/coaching
	24 Nov 2017	034 \| Adam Smith, Life is Funny Press on pursuing entrepreneurship, juggling family & business and why it's important to not force yourself into creative work that doesn't feel right.	00:30:12
Adam Smith is the founder of Life is Funny Press, a letterpress greeting card company based in Los Angeles. Adam worked a pressman for Sugar Paper before branching out on his own to start Life is Funny Press. Adam’s passion for printing, his family and making products with purpose really shines through in this episode. Adam came to Paper Camp in 2014 before jumping into trade shows. He currently sells his products via wholesale, retail and custom channels. On today’s episode we’re talking about leaving a full time job to pursue entrepreneurship, a dad’s perspective on juggling family & business, plus why it’s important to not force yourself into creative work that doesn’t feel right. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: When Adam first grew an interest in letterpress printing When and how he started Life is Funny Press The benefits of working at Sugar Paper while building his business The things that motivate him when he is creating new products Printing in small batches at first to test products before printing large quantities Pricing letterpress cards with multiple colors How he balances his roles as a dad and a business owner How Adam defines success and how that has changed over time The retail portion of Life is Funny Press Transitional times in his business and how he handled them The advice he would give to anyone starting a product based business What’s next for Life is Funny Press How often he does product releases KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “We need to stay true to who we are and I think that the best work we produce comes from just our natural interests.” - Katie Hunt “I might love an idea and think that it's like the best thing that I've ever come up with but I don't want to print like a thousand and then find out that it's just it's only funny to me or it doesn't work so well.” - Adam Smith “I absolutely love being on the press and wouldn't ever want to take myself away from that.” - Adam Smith “When's going to be a good time for anything? Let's just do it and then adjust on the back end.” - Adam Smith “Choose what you want your brand to represent." - Adam Smith "If it doesn't work, don't force it." - Adam Smith “There is a market for everything and you need to be true to what you want to do." - Adam Smith LINKS: Website: https://www.lifeisfunnypress.com/ Facebook: @LifeisFunnyPress Instagram: @LifeIsFunnyLA Pinterest: Twitter: @LifeIsFunnyLA JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY: Our signature Paper Camp program is back and we’re now enrolling for Winter 2018! We’re talking about product development sales tools, trade shows, marketing, working with buyers, sales reps and the press. Attend live or online. It’s the similar content, available in different formats. Paper Camp Conference: an intensive 2-day program taking place March 1-2 in Los Angeles. Paper Camp E-Course: 4-week online program with live Q&A calls starting January 16th. Get all the details and grab your seat at www.tradeshowcamp.com/papercamp ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!
	10 Oct 2017	025 \| Debbie Lee, Penelope's Press on prioritizing, saying no and not letting comparison deter her from slow growth.	00:32:41
On today’s episode I’m interviewing Debbie Lee of Penelope’s Press, a letterpress print studio founded in Chicago and now based in Southern California. Debbie opened her business in 2009 selling on Etsy and doing custom wedding work, then later launched to the wholesale market. She shares her important story of how getting sick forced her to scale back in her business and gave her a newfound perspective of how she was spending her days. She talks about her struggle to say no to new opportunities, why her family is at the center of her business decisions and why she didn’t let comparison deter her from her path of slow growth. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: What motivated Debbie to start letterpress printing How she balances marketing to different audiences The things that inspire Debbie when creating new products and how she comes up with new concepts Her cross-country move & how she prepared Balancing being a mom and being a business owner The importance of not letting comparison deter your growth or your priorities Making the tough decision to pull back when her stress was impacting her health, her business & her family The importance of saying no Debbie’s advice for a young entrepreneur starting a product based business How she handles the concern of copycats or people taking inspiration from her work What’s next for Penelope’s Press KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “All these things in my life have brought me to the point I'm at.” - Debbie Lee “There's always a little backstory to every item that I sell.” - Debbie Lee “It was really important for me to stay grounded and to know what my focus was and what my goals were for my business and for my family.” - Debbie Lee “Everyone's businesses are different. Everyone's circumstances are different.” - Katie Hunt “Time is not going anywhere. I have plenty of time to grow my business. There's no race. The race is with myself.” - Debbie Lee “I think it's important to know what you can handle.” - Debbie Lee “It doesn't define us to be busy every second. You're not better because you're busier than the next.” - Debbie Lee “Be friendly and give back.” - Debbie Lee “During the thick of it, when I'm tired, and I don't want to be doing this anymore and I tell my husband I'm going to shut down the business, I think why I got in the business in the first place.” - Debbie Lee “Just because everybody's doing something doesn't mean that you need to be doing that thing too, even though it's trendy.” - Debbie Lee “We shouldn't look at each other as competitors. We should look at each other as colleagues and leverage each other's strengths and knowledge and experiences to better what we're doing in our own business.” - Katie “You have art that needs to get out there, and by you being scared that somebody's going to copy you, that doesn't do anything. You don't gain anything from that.” - Debbie Lee “For those that are creating new work and trying to figure out their own unique voice and their own aesthetic, just be cautious of looking around too much and make sure that you are really trying to hone in on your unique voice instead of mimicking somebody else's work.” - Katie CONNECT: Website: http://www.penelopespress.com Facebook: @penelopespress Instagram: @penelopespress Pinterest: @penelopespress Twitter: @penelopespress JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY: Do you enjoy listening to our Podcast and learning from our guests as they discuss how they grew their businesses? Interested in learning more actionable steps that you can implement into your business? Check out our Business Camp E-Course. ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!
	17 Mar 2020	147 \| Expanding Products Enhanced Her Brand with Rebecca Townsend, Seaside Designs	00:27:51
Have you ever considered how building a strong brand can make you stand out and ultimately help your business stand the test of time? Today’s guest is Paper Camp alumni Rebecca Townsend. Rebecca is the owner and creative director of Seaside Designs. She literally built her whole business around her love for the beach and sea. Pretty fascinating, right? The business didn’t always come easy and she’s had to overcome many ups and downs through her entrepreneurial journey. She rode the rocky tides of being a business owner and now she’s riding the waves of success. In this episode, she shares her story of navigating a huge rough patch that made her shut down her business and the story of her resurrecting it and bringing it back to life. We talk about her experience of overcoming burnout and figuring out a way to work smarter, not harder. She shares her research and development process for products and how she balances the financial risks of expansion (you might be surprised to hear how she does it). Rebecca gives her advice for other business owners who want to expand into new product categories and shares what’s next for Seaside Designs including why she’s decided to focus on sustainable packaging. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Why Rebecca has kept her brand identity the same throughout the years in her business How she’s built her brand based on her vision The evolution of her product mix How she got into wholesale after being discovered by local retailers at craft shows Going through a rough patch, being burnt out and closing her business Making a plan to bring her business back in a more sustainable way How Paper Camp helped her to streamline processes for inventory and production Bringing more products back into the mix and designing her products to be a cohesive line Her process for research and development of products How she balances the financial risk of expansion The benefits she’s seen with widening her product mix Tactics she uses to leverage social media as a marketing tool Using social media to connect with both retail and wholesale customers Rebecca’s advice for business owners considering new product categories What Rebecca has coming up for her business, Seaside Designs For full show notes and resources, head to http://bit.ly/PTPEp147 SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!
	02 Mar 2021	193 \| Creating paid memberships & communities with Joe Casabona	00:35:47
Hey friends! I know we can certainly all agree that if 2020 and 2021 have taught us anything it’s that we need to get more creative and consider additional revenue streams. This has led to more and more membership models and subscriptions popping up in not only the service space but the physical product space too. That conversation was prompted in our Proof to Product LABS community and is the reason behind this episode with Joe Casabona. Joe’s passion lies in teaching his knowledge about website development, podcasting and course creation with other business owners, entrepreneurs and freelancers. In this episode, we dive into creating paid memberships and communities for your customers. We chat about how artists and creators can use paid memberships to nurture customers. He shares some simple ways to get started with tech platforms and content ideas so be sure to take notes! ON TODAY’S EPISODE: How creators and artists can use membership communities to nurture existing customers The biggest things that hold people back from starting their community Pros and cons of using platforms like Patreon versus using your own website Joe’s ideas of content that creatives can make to lead people back to their business Why you should ask your audience what they want and what type of content you need to generate sales FOR FULL SHOW NOTES, RESOURCES AND A TRANSCRIPT, HEAD TO BIT.LY/PTPEp193 SLOW STEADY GROWTH ARE HOW STRONG BUSINESSES ARE BUILT Building a business is a long game, won with patience, fortitude, intentional decisions and passion. Inside Proof to Product LABS, you’ll receive the support, education and accountability to move your business towards your goals. Join Proof to Product Labs, our 12-month group coaching program built specifically for product based business owners: https://www.prooftoproduct.com/labs FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates: https://www.instagram.com/prooftoproduct/ JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. Be sure SUBSCRIBE, REVIEW and SHARE Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know!
	14 Nov 2023	319 \| 2024 Market Trends For Product Based Businesses with Jessica Totillo Coster	00:36:13
We recently did a two-part series on the State of Retail where I talked to two independent brick-and-mortar retail shop owners [episode 1] [episode 2]. This is important because we teach all of you how to sell wholesale to stores like Katie & Jen’s shops and it is important that you understand the challenges that they are facing and how they are adapting to the market and how that will trickle down and affect you as a manufacturer. Today I want to expand on that conversation with a colleague of mine, Jessica Totillo Coster of E-Commerce Badassery. Jessica is an ecommerce and email marketing strategist. You may also remember her from episode 195 of Proof to Product. Jessica works exclusively with product-based business owners — many of whom are also Paper Camp Alumni & LABS members. Jessica and I have a unique perspective on what’s happening in the product space right now — observing trends with sales, marketing and spotting issues before they become widespread. And, that’s what our focus is on today’s episode. We're sharing what we’re seeing on the sales & marketing front for product-based businesses - what’s working, what’s not and sharing advice that you can implement right away. This episode is brought to you by our Email Marketing For Product Makers guide. 49% of our customers want to hear from us on a consistent basis, yet, only a small percentage of product-based business owners are actively sending monthly emails to their customers. If you’ve struggled with what to say, when to send, or how to plan out your email marketing strategies, we’ve got just the tool for you. This tool and the optional training have helped hundreds of product makers plan out an entire year’s worth of emails. And, the best part… they are creating templates that they can rinse & repeat year after year. DOWNLOAD NOW You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/319 Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp
	23 Feb 2021	192 \| Attracting a diverse audience with visual branding with Dana Kaye, Bouquet Stock Photo	00:34:31
Hey friends! If you’ve used stock photography, you may have noticed how difficult it can be to find diverse imagery. Enter Dana Kaye of Bouquet Stock Photo. Visual branding can be a huge factor in who we attract to our business. So how can we use visual branding to be more inclusive? In this episode, Dana and I dig into the importance of visual branding and why creating meaningful connections with our customers is such an important piece of doing business. She also shares her definition of what makes a value based business. We all want to see ourselves in the products and services we shop for. This is such an important conversation and there are so many actionable take-aways in this episode! ON TODAY’S EPISODE: What led Dana to starting her stock photo company Why diverse imagery is so important The definitions of a value based business Meaningful connections and why they are so powerful How serving others is a form of networking For full show notes and resources, head to bit.ly/PTPEp192 SLOW STEADY GROWTH ARE HOW STRONG BUSINESSES ARE BUILT Building a business is a long game, won with patience, fortitude, intentional decisions and passion. Inside Proof to Product LABS, you’ll receive the support, education and accountability to move your business towards your goals. Join Proof to Product Labs, our 12-month group coaching program built specifically for product based business owners. SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!
	21 Apr 2020	152 \| Chasing the Bright Side with Jess Ekstrom, Headbands of Hope	00:30:54
Hey friends! With the current state of our world, I thought it’d be great to bring someone on the podcast who radiates optimism and confidence. In this episode, you’ll be hearing my conversation with Jess Ekstrom, founder of Headbands of Hope and the author of Chasing the Bright Side. Jess and I dive deep into how she’s built her business and it’s growth over the past eight years. Through her years in business, she’s learned how to find new solutions to support her customers on both the retail and wholesale side. We also talk about how she’s had to pivot her business during this time which prompted her to host a virtual conference. She shares how she got the co-founder of Netflix to speak at her conference (pretty cool, right?!) She also talks about why she believes in “throwing darts and seeing what sticks” in her business. We get into what it truly means to chase the bright side. She gives her advice about maintaining your childlike optimism throughout life. Jess and I discuss how to use downtime to recenter yourself (which can bring forth more creativity and innovation!) ON TODAY’S EPISODE: What prompted Jess to write her book, Chasing the Bright Side Being optimistic about your products and the impact they have on the world Her advice on the steps to take to become more optimistic Why Jess believes confidence is more important than knowledge Maintaining a childlike optimism as you get older Why Jess started Headbands of Hope Trusting your gut when making decisions How she’s shifted her mission for her business over the past year How Jess has built her business on “throwing darts and seeing what sticks” Hosting a virtual tradeshow on YouTube Figuring out how to continue to provide value during this time Pivoting their donation model to help overcome the mask shortage that hospitals are facing Using your downtime to recenter yourself to help spark creativity and innovation What the My Bright Side campaign is and why she started it What’s coming next for Headbands of Hope How Jess got the cofounder of Netflix to be a speaker at her virtual conference For full show notes and resources, head to bit.ly/PTPEp152 Small Wins Lead to Big Wins Building a business is a long game, won with patience, fortitude, intentional decisions and passion. Slow sustainable growth is how strong businesses are built and we want to help you get there. Join the wait list for Proof to Product Labs, our new community experience coming soon! SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!
	12 Feb 2019	Special Edition \| NSS / NY Now 2019 - Part 1	00:33:12
Hey Friends! I just got back from NY Now and the National Stationery Show in New York where more than 39 Tradeshow Bootcamp alumni and speakers exhibited this year. It was an incredible trip, for everyone from first timers to seasoned pros, and I’m so excited to share the highlights with you on the Podcast this week! This year is the first time that these two shows have run at the same time. The National Stationery Show has typically been held in May, but moved for February to co-locate with NY Now. The move of NSS caused a bit of a stir within our industry, and our Tradeshow Bootcamp community and the move of the show is one of the topics we’re addressing on the episodes this week. We had alumni exhibiting at both NY Now and the National Stationery show, so we decided to break up this week’s episode into two parts. On Part 1, airing today, we revisit the best parts of the National Stationery Show with Cecily Moore of The Paper Curator, Jenna Puente of Paper Wilderness, Rosanna Kvernmo of Iron Curtain Press, Genesis Duncan of Graphic Anthology, Krystal Whitten of Krystal Whitten Studio and Joe Mihalow of XOU. Part 2 will air on Thursday and features alumni that exhibited at NY Now I hope you enjoy this special series! ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Cecily Moore, The Paper Curator Jenna Puente, Paper Wilderness Rosanna Kvernmo, Iron Curtain Press Genesis Duncan, Graphic Anthology Krystal Whitten, Krystal Whitten Studio Joe Mihalow, XOU PAPER CAMP What if you could sit in a room with 30 other product makers who are doing exactly what you’re doing -- building a business they love! You could share resources, leverage each other’s experiences and learn from those who are where you want to be. Imagine the growth potential! Join us March 14-15th in Los Angeles for our Paper Camp Conference. Over 800 brands have attended Paper Camp. Brands that sell to stores like Target, Paper Source, Container Store, Anthropologie and independent boutiques internationally. This program is for you if you’re a stationery or gift company interested in selling wholesale, exhibiting at trade shows or looking to expand your outreach to wholesale customers. We believe in the power of community, collaboration and sharing everything we know. Get all the details and register at www.tradeshowcamp.com/papercamp SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!
	06 Sep 2022	263 \| Preparing Your Product Business for a Recession with Katie Hunt	00:15:54
As if business owners hadn’t had enough of pivoting over the last two and a half years through the pandemic, now we are in the midst of a recession. Small businesses everywhere are worried about how to prepare and thrive during this time. As someone who has personally worked through three recessions now, I'm sharing my thoughts about what you can do to keep your business moving forward during this recession! You can view full show notes and more at prooftoproduct.com/263 Today’s episode is brought to you by LABS, our 12-month group coaching program that was built for product based business owners who want to streamline their systems and streamline their revenue. If you’re ready to join this program, make sure you’re on the waitlist for when we open enrollment! JOIN THE WAITLIST
	25 Jul 2023	303 \| What Retail Shops Look for When Buying Wholesale with Ginger Diaz, Feliz Modern & Rancho Diaz	00:34:49
Opening a retail storefront is no joke. It's a whole lot of work and a completely different business model than selling products online or to the wholesale market. Brick-and-mortar retail requires different strategies, operational systems, and of course staffing needs. I know there are many of you who dream of someday opening a shop, in fact, we have many product brands that also have brick-and-mortar shops in our Proof to Product community. So today we're going to hear from Ginger Diaz, the owner of Feliz Modern and Rancho Diaz in San Antonio, Texas. Ginger Diaz came to retail to bring her favorite artists’ and makers’ works to a wider audience. What started as one brick-and-mortar shop in San Antonio has expanded to a second shop, as well as their online store at felizmodern.com, for those national customers that they service. All three shops are centered around products that bring joy and some cheeky fun to their customers. It's a small business full of hundreds of other small businesses and makers from around the globe. On today's episode, we're talking to Ginger about motivations for opening her stores, how relationships played a key role in their survival during the pandemic, and how Ginger's incredible staff has helped improve efficiencies in her business. We also talk a little bit about her buying preferences and red flags that she sees in manufacturers' pitches or outreach, and what she looks for when she's purchasing from smaller independent brands. Today's episode is brought to you by our Is Wholesale Right for You private podcast! This free 12 part audio series will help you decide whether wholesale is a good next step for your specific business. After listening to this audio series (in less than an hour), two things will be true. You'll know whether you want to pursue wholesale for your product business, and you'll have the confidence and action steps to get started with wholesale. Sign up for the private podcast today! SIGN UP You can view full show notes and more at prooftoproduct.com/303 Connect with Ginger felizmodern.com @felizmodern Ranchodiaz.com @rancho.diaz Mentioned in this episode: Proof to Product LABS
	02 Nov 2021	224 \| Find Hidden Money in Your E-commerce Shop with Reese Spykerman \| Design By Reese	00:34:37
Your business has a lot of moving parts. It’s easy to let opportunities to make a little extra money (or eliminate sneaky expenses) slip right past your radar. So how can you optimize your revenue and minimize those “leaky pipe” expenses? The answer is right on your website! In this episode, I’m talking to e-commerce conversion expert Reese Spykerman about all the hidden places you can find extra money in your business. She’ll share her tips for crafting a beautiful and functional e-commerce website, and we’ll chat about a few of the trends we’re seeing in the online business world right now. You'll learn: Where to find extra money (and sneaky expenses) in your ecommerce business Why you might be doing your business a disservice by making your website too pretty How to put yourself in your customers’ shoes and make them feel understood For full show notes, resources and a transcription, please head to bit.ly/PTPEp224 For more support with your marketing & sales strategies, check out LABS at http://www.prooftoproduct.com/labs
	09 May 2017	003 \| Lindsay Henry, Inklings Paperie on client experience, slow growth and self care	00:25:51
For full show notes and access to additional resources for this episode, visit: prooftoproduct.com/003 Lindsay Henry, the founder and creative director of Inklings Paperie opened up shop in 2011 via Etsy and launched the wholesale market in 2015. Her paper products and party goods can now be found in more than 200 retail shops, including Target, Paper Source, and Anthropologie. On this episode we'll talk about creating excellent client experience, slow but thoughtful growth, and why both of us need to make more time for self-care. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: [01:30] Inklings Paperie story moving from custom work to wholesale [06:40] Utilizing customer feedback when creating new products for retail [08:00] Benefits of spending time with wholesale customers [09:00] Working with big box stores [10:45] Hiring help to package orders & scale her business [12:40] Finding staff in unexpected places [14:00] Why Lindsay waited a year from attending her first show to exhibiting for the first time [15:20] LIndsay’s definition of success [16:40] Setting boundaries while having a home-based business [17:30] Prioritizing self-care and realizing it is a work in progress. [19:20] Two pieces of advice Lindsay would tell herself if she was just starting out again [20:00] Focusing on customer experience resulted in over 8,000 five-star reviews on Etsy. [21:40] Nurturing wholesale customers [22:35] What’s next for Lindsay and Inklings Paperie KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “Having a great product is just the beginning. Making your customer experience exceptional will set you and your business apart.” - Lindsay Henry “Gauge the market and see where you fit in” - Katie Hunt “Build a brand that people can believe in and stand behind.” - Lindsay Henry “We look at every order not just as a transaction but as someone who is inviting us to be a part of their life events.” - Lindsay Henry “Keep the big picture in mind.” - LIndsay Henry LINKS: The National Stationery Show The Louie Awards Love Marks by Kevin Roberts *some links may be affiliate links MEET LINDSAY HENRY: Lindsay Henry is the Founder and Creative Director at Inklings Paperie, a stationery and lifestyle brand based in Canton, Michigan. Lindsay worked as a freelance designer and brand strategist for non-profit organizations and global brands until she launched Inklings in 2011, opening up a little shop on Etsy. In 2016, Inklings made its NSS debut and was recognized by the Greeting Card Association with a Louie Award and the 2016 Consumers' Choice Award. Inklings products are now carried by nearly 200 retailers internationally including Target, Paper Source and Anthropologie. Website: inklingspaperie.com Facebook: @inklingspaperie Instagram: @inklingspaperie Twitter: @inklingspaperie JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY: Interested in learning more about launching or refining a wholesale line or exhibiting at trade shows? Join us for our Paper Camp conference this September in Los Angeles. Get more details and register at www.tradeshowcamp.com/papercamp ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by me, Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode.
	03 Sep 2024	360 \| How Quitting Social Media Boosted Revenue with Brigida Swanson, Yardia	00:28:53
Is it possible to have a thriving business and not be on social media? In episode 309, Brigida Swanson from Yardia joined me to discuss what it was like for her to leave social media. We talked a lot about choosing contentment over business growth, and this episode was a listener favorite. We decided to invite Brigida back onto the podcast to check in and see how things are going 1 year later. Brigida Swanson is a multiracial Chamorro watercolor artist from Seattle and the one-woman show behind her company, YARDIA. She creates watercolor-driven and Pacific Northwest-inspired art, stationery, and home goods that help folks to express their intersectional identities and love the places they live. During this interview, we discussed how her business has thrived without the constant scroll. We talked about the positive impact the shift has made on her personal life and how her focused efforts on email newsletters and direct outreach for wholesale have helped her expand. This episode is brought to you by our Email Marketing For Product Makers guide. 49% of our customers want to hear from us consistently, yet, only a small percentage of product-based business owners are actively sending monthly emails to their customers. If you’ve struggled with what to say, when to send, or how to plan out your email marketing strategies, we’ve got just the tool for you. This tool and the optional training have helped hundreds of product makers plan out an entire year’s worth of emails. And, the best part… they are creating templates that they can rinse & repeat year after year. DOWNLOAD NOW
	27 Sep 2022	266 \| How to Communicate Price Increases to Your Customers with Katie Hunt	00:15:52
If you haven’t raised your prices in the last 6-12 months, it’s time for you to audit your product costs and pricing to see exactly what your profit margins are. It’s likely that costs have risen and your profit margins aren’t as high as they used to be. In today’s episode, I’m sharing a few approaches you can take to communicate your price changes with your customers. You can view full show notes and more at prooftoproduct.com/266 Today’s episode is brought to you by my free Email Marketing For Product Makers Guide, where you’ll learn how to map out 12 months of emails in under an hour and learn more about strategies for wholesale and direct to consumer audiences! GET ACCESS NOW
	19 Jul 2022	256 \| 4 ways to measure trade show success excluding sales with Katie Hunt	00:10:16
If you’ve ever attended a trade show and felt disappointed in your sales, I have good news for you! The success of your trade show should not be solely measured by the volume of sales you get while you’re there. In today’s episode, I’m sharing 4 ways to measure your success at a trade show that don’t rely on your sales. Trade shows offer you the opportunity to maximize your time to seek client feedback, have meaningful conversations, enhance your brand recognition and visibility, and ultimately build new connections. You can view full show notes and more at prooftoproduct.com/256 Today’s episode is brought to you by our Booth Blueprint class, available in the Proof to Product resource library! During this class, I'll walk you through three secrets to maximizing your tradeshow investment, and I'll tell you how to keep your wholesale orders coming in long after your trade show ends! Get access to this class and my workbook inside the Proof to Product resource library! Get Access Now
	18 Jan 2022	232 \| Working with Sales Reps with Carina Murray, Crow & Canary	00:27:14
In an industry and business where your time is valuable and your products are essential for creating a successful and sustainable business, sales reps have your best interest in mind and serve a greater purpose than simply selling your products. A valuable sales rep is someone you can build a trusted relationship with who can navigate catalogs, inventories, deliveries, and even curate products just for you. In today’s episode, I’m joined by Carina Murray, founder of Crow and Canary, a sales rep group that works with a diverse line up of stationery and gift brands to sell their products and support their customers with top-notch customer service. Listen in as we discuss how sales reps were affected by Covid, how wholesalers and sales reps can work with Faire and other third party wholesale platforms, plus we’re highlighting unique benefits that sales reps bring to the sales process! For full show notes, resources and a transcription, please head to prooftoproduct.com/232 For more support with your marketing & sales strategies, check out LABS at http://www.prooftoproduct.com/labs
	23 Nov 2021	227 \| Paid Advertising for E-Commerce Brands with Alexander Rossman \| Rossman Media	00:36:58
Feeling confident with your organic digital marketing and ready to scale even further? Why not dip your toe into the world of paid advertising? Paid digital marketing might sound intimidating, but with a solid strategy and clear goals, it can truly help you increase exposure and leads for your e-commerce business. In this episode, I’m talking to Alex Rossman, founder of Rossman Media, an award-winning social media agency, about the ways small e-commerce brands can leverage paid advertising in their businesses. He’s sharing his tips for getting started with paid ads, which platforms are the most beneficial right now, and how much money you need to invest in your ads to see results. You'll learn: How to leverage TikTok for your e-commerce business Three steps to getting started with paid advertising The common mistakes small e-commerce brands make in their digital marketing When to DIY your paid advertising and when to outsource it For full show notes, resources and a transcription, please head to bit.ly/PTPEp227 For more support with your marketing & sales strategies, check out LABS at http://www.prooftoproduct.com/labs
	29 Jun 2018	Katie Hunt \| Search Engine Optimization vs Conversion Rate Optimization	00:05:09
On this mini episode, Katie Hunt reiterates something Brice McBeth of Reap marketing talked about on Episode 62 of Proof to Product — the difference between search engine optimization and conversion rate optimization. Here's what we learned from Brice: Search engine optimization is driving traffic to your website. Conversion Rate Optimization is getting people on your website to take action & buy. Brice shares a lot of great ideas and strategies in episode 62, if you haven’t listened yet I highly recommend it. There’s so much more to dive into here, so Brice and I will be hosting a free online masterclass next month to talk about why SEO is a hoax. And, how you can be leveraging your existing marketing to get more customers. If you to be notified about the details when we open registration. Head to http://www.tradeshowcamp.com/join and make sure you’re on our mailing list.
	10 Jun 2020	From the Archives \| Shifting the maker mindset with Genesis Duncan, Graphic Anthology	00:31:36
This week, we are amplifying the voices of black artists and business leaders by re-running three of our previous episodes. When we first start our businesses, more often than not, we don’t have the big picture idea of what our brand or business will look like down the road. So many of us embark on this so-called maker’s journey, where we truly discover our strengths, opportunities, and long term vision for our business. Lucky for us, one of our talented Paper Camp alumni, Genesis Duncan of Graphic Anthology, is joining us today on Episode 138 of Proof to Product to share her experience and advice for other makers on the path. Based in Portland, Oregon, Genesis started Graphic Anthology in 2010 with just three art prints and an Etsy shop. Almost a decade later, her product line has grown to include a wide range of greeting cards and gift items that focus on joy, simplicity, and strengthening relationships with those you love most. Today's episode is a powerful one and I know it will resonate with many of you. We talk about how Genesis started her business as a creative outlet and hobby, and why she had to shift her mindset and step into her role and title as an entrepreneur and business owner. Genesis also shares how adding a line of Spanish greeting cards was not only beneficial to her business, but also her personal development. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: What products Genesis makes and sells The sales channels she utilizes How she decided to start her own business Life’s hurdles and how they led Genesis to where she is today Finding silver linings and following your heart Advice for shifting your mindset from maker to business owner How Genesis manages the tactical aspects of Graphic Anthology The importance of picking deadlines and sticking with them How Paper Camp helped solidify her business mindset What Genesis does to differentiate her products in the market Testing products, taking risks, and discovering new segments Advice for other small business owners and creative CEOs For full show notes and resources, head to https://bit.ly/FromtheArchives SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!
	21 Jan 2020	140 \| Adding products to a service based business with Robin Long, The Balanced Life	00:34:52
Today we’re so happy to have Robin Long on for Episode 141 of Proof to Product. Robin is the founder of The Balanced Life, a website that provides quick and effective Pilates workouts for busy women. Robin made the transition from the traditional teaching model of working in studios, gyms and training private clients to serve her clients online. On today’s episode, Robin shares how she shifted from the more traditional service offering into a successful membership model for her service based business. She tells us why she has decided to grow her business slowly and organically - ensuring that she’s building a business that fits her lifestyle and brings her joy. Robin and I dive into how she’s used drop shipping to add additional income streams to her business and why she decided to create physical products for her service based business. She opens up about her experience with building her team including why going on maternity leave has helped her to put more strategic systems in place. We talk about setting boundaries, hesitations she had before moving to a membership model and her advice for someone who is just getting started in business. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Why Robin shifted from the traditional teaching model of pilates to serving clients online How she came to have a membership model, community-based program Hesitations that Robin faced when moving to a membership model Setting boundaries for yourself as an entrepreneur How Robin uses the drop shipping method in her business Robin’s thought process behind adding products to her service-based business Using products as a membership perk Challenges she’s had since adding products to her business Why Robin believes in slow, intentional growth for her company Robin’s experience of growing from a solo entrepreneur to building a team How being forced to give up control has been a blessing for her Taking a sabbatical and putting systems in place for a seamless workflow Robin’s advice for the business owner who is just getting started Gaining inspiration from other industries and taking that into the fitness world to do her own thing What’s next for The Balanced Life RESOURCES: Clockwork: Design Your Business to Run Itself MEET ROBIN: Robin Long lives and works in sunny Santa Barbara, CA as the founder and CEO of The Balanced Life – a website that provides quick & effective Pilates workouts for busy women. She is a certified Pilates instructor and passionate about creating programs that empower, strengthen, restore, and rejuvenate her clients from the inside out. She believes in a guilt-free, balanced approach to health & fitness and is passionate about helping women love and care for their bodies in the midst of busy lives. Outside of The Balanced Life, she can be found chasing her 6- year-old daughter, 3-year-old son, and 1-year-old twins, sneaking in 10-minute workouts during the kids' bath time, and spending time at the beach. CONNECT WITH ROBIN: Website: https://thebalancedlifeonline.com/ Facebook: @thebalancedlife Instagram: @thebalancedlife Pinterest: @robinlong SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!
	02 Jun 2017	NSS Part 2 \| Interviews with Parrott Design, Iron Curtain Press, Lana’s Shop, Julie Ann Art, Reyn Paper Co., Banquet Workshop	00:28:31
For full show notes and access to additional resources for this episode, visit: prooftoproduct.com/nss2017part2 I’m back with Part 2 of our National Stationery Show recap. We’re talking with six of our TSBC alumni hearing what went well at the show, how the show has evolved and a couple will weigh in on how the show differs from NY Now and Atlanta’s Mart. Today’s episode features interviews with Sarah from Parrott Design Studio, Joel from Iron Curtain Press, Lana from Lana’s Shop, Julie from Julie Ann Art, Kristen & Pam from Reyn Paper Co., and Tammy from Banquet Workshop. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Sarah Bianculli from Parrott Design (4th year in 5 years at NSS) [01:30] How this show compared to previously shows she’s done. [02:00] Expanding into more gift categories including canvas pouches, notepads, pens and pencils [03:00] Benefits of attending the show and meeting people face to face [04:00] Licensing projects with Papyrus and interest from Kodak; other benefits of being at the show. [04:30] Importance of follow-up after the show [05:00] Do a lot of research for the stores that are a good fit for you, quality over quantity. [05:30] Persistence and patience pay off. Don’t give up and stay in front of the buyers you’re a great fit for. Joel Kvernmo from Iron Curtain Press (5th year at NSS) [06:00] Hard wall booths and changing up their design year after year. [07:00] Reusing booth materials to keep costs low, including foam tiles, shelving and storage [08:00] New product releases for this year: reporter notebooks, task pad, pencil bags [08:30] Best selling products at the show. [09:00] Don’t overextend yourself financially as you’re starting a business. Baby steps and slow growth is better than a big jump, then a big fall. Lana from Lana’s Shop (2nd year at NSS) [10:00] How Paper Camp helped her coming into her second year. [10:30] Continuing the momentum from her first year into the second year. [11:00] Unexpected mishaps: their crate was damaged in shipping [12:00] Opportunities she experienced being at the show: meeting artists & designers in person and potential collaborations [13:00] Go all out. Have confidence and stay true to your own designs Julie Richardson from Julie Ann Art (2nd year at NSS) [13:30] Second year feels more prepared. Logistics get easier. [14:00] Creating unique decor for her booth that didn’t take away from the product. [15:00] Lighting mishap and how she handled it. Resources are available on site. [16:00] NSS is a special atmosphere. [16:30] Advice: Join Tradeshow Bootcamp. Do your research. Don’t be intimidated. We’re all in this together. Kristen & Pam from Reyn Paper Co. (3rd year at NSS) [17:00] Difference between types of buyers at NSS vs Atlanta Mart. Orders are typically bigger for Reyn at Atlanta (volume-wise). [19:00] Logistical difference between New York & Atlanta [19:30] Types of buyers they are seeing at National Stationery Show. [20:30] Different shows have different types of buyers. Find the best show for you and your products. [21:00] Find your right audience and get your products in front of them. [22:00] Looking at your return on investment. Tammy Lawrence from Banquet Workshop (6th year at NSS) [22:30] How NSS compares to NY Now from an exhibitor stand point. [23:30] Types of buyers that shop NY Now vs Stationery Show. [24:30] She’s seeing more and more exhibitors branching out into gift products because that is what the buyers want. [26:00] Make half your line birthday cards. [26:30] Branching out into textiles, more cards, etc. [27:00] All buyers buy different product mixes for their stores. INSTAGRAM HANDLES -- Tell them you heard them on Proof to Product! Parrot Design Iron Curtain Press Lana’s Shop Julie Ann Art Reyn Paper Co. Banquet Workshop JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY: Interested in learning more about launching or refining a wholesale line or exhibiting at trade shows? Join us for our next Paper Camp conference in Los Angeles. Get more details and register at www.tradeshowcamp.com/papercamp ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode.
	30 Jul 2019	114 \| E-Commerce Strategies & Abandoned Cart Emails with Arianne Foulks, Aeolidia	00:35:35
Has being an entrepreneur and your own boss helped unlock new skills or uncover new parts of your personality? It definitely has for Arianne Foulks, founder of Aeolidia, a design studio specializing in designing and developing custom e-commerce websites using Shopify, as well as logo design, product packaging, product photography, content creation, and business naming. Before starting Aeolidia in 2004, Arianne was shy and avoided talking to clients over the phone. Today, after 15 years in business and growing her team to more than twenty-three employees, Arianne is bold in her business. She speaks and teaches at events, hosts business owner brunches, and looks forward to talking with people about their companies. On today's episode, Arianne and I chat about how she built her agency and grew her team over the years. We talk about common misconceptions some creative entrepreneurs have, the advantages of using Shopify, and the importance of abandoned cart emails. Arianne also shares details about the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program, an investment program that helps entrepreneurs grow their businesses through education, capital and support services. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Common misconception creative entrepreneurs have about branding, marketing, and websites What really goes into a logo and behind a brand How Arianne moved into the branding, marketing, website world Aeolidia’s e-commerce checklist The importance of digging into data and analytics and knowing what's working and not working Why Arianne is a fan of Shopify for product based businesses Advice for shop owners on how to prevent abandoned carts What sets Aeolidia apart from the competition How Arianne helps clients stick to their deadlines The balance between business results and personal service How having a baby forced Arianne to grow and delegate in her company Resources, mentors, and programs that have contributed to Arianne’s success KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “The logo is the very tip of the iceberg of your brand. But when you know what's going on with an iceberg, most of it is underwater. At Aeolidia it’s all the underwater stuff that we love people to get started with first.” - Arianne Foulks “Customer service is really the foundation of building a good business.” - Arianne Foulks “I'm a firm believer in hiring people that are smarter than me and that can teach me a thing or two.” - Katie Hunt “I was a customer service pro by the time I got started working with clients, and that gave me such a huge leap in being able to just jump into it and do a good job.” - Arianne Foulks “It turns out that running a business is a very creative pursuit whether you're designing things or not, and I really find it satisfying the whole way through.” - Arianne Foulks “One of the quotes that's always in my head, I just think all the time is ‘What got you here will not get you there.” - Arianne Foulks “There are some people that feel like, “Well, I hired you to design it and develop it. Just create it.” It's like, “Well, no. You as a business owner have to tell us what kind of copy, what kind of images, what kind of details you want on that.” - Katie Hunt “You have to remember that people who are almost buying something from you are really into it. It's something they actually want, so they're not unhappy to see it again.” - Arianne Foulks “You should be fairly aggressive about sending people the emails because they're already not buying the product from you. They've already decided not to. It's not like you can lose them any more than that.” - Arianne Foulks “If people don't know about your products, they're not going to purchase them.” - Katie Hunt “I started realizing it's really fun to just run the business. It actually is a creative pursuit.” - Arianne Foulks “I think my husband's least favorite words for me are, “I have an idea.” - Katie Hunt LINKS Website: https://aeolidia.com/ Facebook: http://facebook.com/aeolidia Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/aeolidia.shipshape/ Instagram: http://instagram.com/aeolidia SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!
	07 Apr 2020	150 \| Getting Back to Basics	00:14:04
Hey friends! As much of the world is currently in isolation and practicing social distancing, I wanted to encourage you. I hope this episode will help you find direction in this uncertain time and remind you to keep pushing forward. To be completely honest, my head was spinning with things that I wanted to say but I know we’re all facing completely different circumstances. None of us have ever faced something like this before and we’re all going through something different from one another. Business advice isn’t a one size fits all and what works for one person may not work for someone else so today I want to share what I’m doing in my business in case it’s relatable or helpful for you. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: How right now is an unprecedented time and we’re all dealing with this in different ways Setting priorities within the business Taking a look at your business finances to examine your runway and unnecessary expenses Stripping down to the basics of executing certain processes Connecting with your people - clients, colleagues, community members For Full Show Notes and Resources, head to bit.ly/PTPEp150 Small Wins Lead to Big Wins Building a business is a long game, won with patience, fortitude, intentional decisions and passion. Slow sustainable growth is how strong businesses are built and we want to help you get there. Join the wait list for Proof to Product Labs, our new group coaching experience coming soon! SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!
	30 Nov 2021	228 \| 4 Strategies to Combat Imposter Syndrome with Katie Hunt	00:10:31
Oxford Languages defines imposter syndrome as the persistent inability to believe that one's success is deserved. Imposter syndrome is very common in the entrepreneur space. That feeling that we haven’t truly earned the success we’ve had. Imposter syndrome can mean feeling like a fraud or phony — like we’re not truly talented or good at what we do. In this episode, I’m sharing a sneak peek into one of my monthly coaching calls inside the Proof to Product LABS program. During these calls, I answer pre-submitted member questions about how to run - and grow - a product based business. In this call, I shared four strategies for combating imposter syndrome, avoiding burnout, and building your confidence as a business owner. You'll learn: How imposter syndrome shows up in your businesses Four strategies for combating imposter syndrome and avoiding burnout How to rest and recover after an energetically-taxing launch For full show notes, resources and a transcription, please head to bit.ly/PTPEp228 For more support with your marketing & sales strategies, check out LABS at http://www.prooftoproduct.com/labs
	02 Jul 2019	110 \| Business partnerships with Minna Khounlo-Sithep & Jacqueline Snyder, The Product Boss	00:34:19
So many of us are solopreneurs, but have you ever met another small business bad-ass and totally clicked? That’s what happened for today’s guests, Minna Khounlo-Sithep and Jacqueline Snyder, voices behind The Product Boss Podcast. For some background, after Minna had her first child she was inspired to start Lil' Labels, write-on kids labels that are sold at retail giants like Amazon, Walmart and Jet. At the same time, Jacqueline was running her own product based business, Cuffs Couture, and growing her international sales. Jacqueline reached out to Minna in a business Facebook group, and the two totally hit it off. Today, Jacqueline and Minna work together to teach business owners how to grow their product-based businesses with smart strategy and a community around them. In addition to running the podcast, they each still own their own businesses. On Episode 110, we’re all sitting down to talk about the pros and cons business partnerships, how Minna and Jacqueline divide responsibilities, and what to look for if you’re considering taking on a new partner. We also talk about how Minna and Jacqueline juggle their multiple businesses, and they share their top tips for product based business owners. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: What inspired Minna and Jacqueline to start their own businesses The evolution and importance of celebrity endorsement How Minna and Jacqueline met Moving from online, becoming friends, and deciding to partner up Hesitancies of forming a partnership Dividing responsibilities How Jacqueline and Minna balance their individual businesses with The Product Boss The importance of implicit trust Questions to ask yourself before finding a business partner Strategies for dealing with day to day stressors Shifts Jacqueline and Minna have seen in the industry Alternatives to tradeshows and advice for scaling your business What’s up next for The Product Boss KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “I dug in and I figured it out, and I had the tenacity of a pregnant woman going to give birth. So the rest from there just was it seemed easy.” - Minna Khounlo-Sithep “I'm very much a book learner. So it was in my mind that I could just learn all about Amazon. I was already a fan of Amazon, so I basically schooled myself on Amazon.” - Minna Khounlo-Sithep “I was in my 20s and going out and wanting to dance and have no purse. I always hated having to put my purse under like a jacket in the corner at bar. And so I created Cuffs Couture, which were fashionable, chic wrist wallets.” - Jacqueline Snyder “We started a business without realizing we were starting a business, and yeah. She's not a serial killer. So at least a good thing, right?” - Jacqueline Snyder “We get so many ideas going as entrepreneurs. We just know how to do things. We kind of know how to execute or figure it out along the way. And then on top of it, we really did have a great connection.” - Minna Khounlo-Sithep “We approach things very differently, and the thing is we get along really, really well. But I think the key is we trust each other implicitly.” - Minna Khounlo-Sithep “Big brands are not as agile as a smaller entrepreneur. We can try something today and if it doesn't work tomorrow, we can shift gears, or we can try again in a different way.” - Katie Hunt “My biggest thing with being a partner is like, "Am I doing enough? Am I showing up and handling my role? Am I doing enough?” - Jacqueline Snyder “It's highly psychological, lots of mindset, and you have to be able to see that other person as a full partner that has all these fears and joys too. So you're always trying to balance that out.” - Minna Khounlo-Sithep “We're complete opposites as far as personality wise or approaches. But we definitely have the same love for so many things. We love our families. Our why is exactly the same.” - Minna Khounlo-Sithep “I don't think I would work well with a partner. Maybe I'm too bossy, I don't know. Too decisive. But I think that's why I find partnerships so fascinating because when you have two of the right people together, amazing things can happen.” - Katie Hunt “The face of product entrepreneurship and a product business is really changing, which is why you can see why stories are so important. Learning how to sell with your story and those personal brands is more important than ever before.” - Minna Khounlo-Sithep “The opportunities have shifted for product based businesses, and the customer has changed quite a bit too. So it’s an interesting dynamic how we have to adapt as product based business owners.” - Katie Hunt LINKS Website: http://www.lillabels.com; http://www.theproductboss.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/lillabelsco; http://instagram.com/theproductboss SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!
	04 Dec 2018	081 \| Part 1 - Sarah Parrott Bianculli, Parrott Design on shifting her business model, finding manufacturing partners and discontinuing product	00:27:15
Sarah Parrott is the founder of Parrott Design Studio and I’m excited for you to hear her story. Parrott Design Studio is a letterpress studio in Sebago, a lake town in Western Maine. The studio was established in 2007 by Sarah Parrott with a small Print Gocco, an inexpensive and easy to use screen printing tool that originated in Japan. That same year she took her first course in letterpress, learning to use a Vandercook press. In 2008 she purchased her own press, an 1898 Golding Jobber platen press. At the time there were no courses to learn on that type of press, and she spent a year teaching herself how to use it. She fell in love with the centuries-old artisinal printing technique and the process of feeding the press one piece at a time, one color at a time. In 2010 she left her job as an event planner to pursue Parrott Design Studio full time. Sarah is one of our original Tradeshow Bootcamp alumni. She attended our very first round of Tradeshow Bootcamp classes in 2011 before exhibiting at the National Stationery Show in 2012. We covered a lot of topics in this interview. So much so, that we’re going to break this up into two separate episodes. Episode 81 is Part 1. On this episode, Sarah shares how she started her business with a Gocco printer and Etsy shop, how her business model shifted from retail to custom to retail and wholesale, how she expanded into new product categories, why she strives to find local manufacturing partners and we also talked about her process for deciding which products to discontinue. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: How she got started with a Gocco printer When she transitioned into letterpress When Sarah realized she was going to pursue this as a business instead of just a creative outlet The evolution of her business over time The three arms of her business and the products she currently offers How she came up with the idea of acrylic cake toppers and how she brought them to market The specific challenges she faced when starting to offer pencil pouches How she manages inventory How she decides to discontinue a product or design The confidence she feels in her business and how it is impacting next year’s release KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “I really just learned by doing.” - Sarah Parrott Bianculli “All of a sudden I realized, I'm set to make more money doing this than my current day job.” - Sarah Parrott Bianculli “As my business has gone on, I'm trying to have as many of my suppliers be as local as possible and that's been, it's 11 years, I'm still working towards that goal and constantly searching.” - Sarah Parrott Bianculli “It's very rare that the first person we work with on a project is going to be the person we work with long-term.” - Katie Hunt “I'm pretty ruthless every year cutting out anything that's not working.” - Sarah Parrott Bianculli “My style has absolutely changed since I started this. I look at things when I first started to what I'm doing now, it doesn't even look like the same person.” - Sarah Parrott Bianculli “It just doesn't make sense to keep these things that aren't selling and it just allows more room for new things as well.” - Sarah Parrott Bianculli “I feel the best I've ever felt in all the businesses I've had and I'm working on next year's release and it's looking a lot different than anything I've ever done before.” - Sarah Parrott Bianculli CONNECT WITH SARAH PARROTT BIANCULLI Website: http://parrottdesignstudio.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Parrott-Design-Studio-245078337090/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parrottdesign/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/parrottdesign/ SPECIAL OFFER: Proof to Product listeners get 3 free months of Gusto when they run their first payroll. Go to www.gusto.com/proof for more information What if you could sit in a room with 30 other product makers who are doing exactly what you’re doing -- building a business they love! You could share resources, leverage each other’s experiences and learn from those who are where you want to be. Imagine the growth potential! Join us March 14-15th in Los Angeles for our Paper Camp Conference. Over 800 brands have attended Paper Camp. Brands that sell to stores like Target, Paper Source, Container Store, Anthropologie and independent boutiques internationally. This program is for you if you’re a stationery or gift company interested in selling wholesale, exhibiting at trade shows or looking to expand your outreach to wholesale customers. We believe in the power of community, collaboration and sharing everything we know. Get all the details and register at www.tradeshowcamp.com/papercamp SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!
	23 Nov 2017	033 \| Samantha Barsky, Noteify on sourcing new manufacturing partners, leveraging passive income streams, and starting small when branching into new products	00:35:58
Since 2010, Samantha Barsky, the founder of Note•ify has combined her love of travel, photography, and entrepreneurship into making paper and textile goods. She has had success growing her business through a wide range of sales channels including Etsy, craft shows, her own website, as well as licensing and collaborations. On today's episode, Samantha talks about sourcing new partners for manufacturing and how tough it is, leveraging passive income streams, and the importance of starting small when branching into new products. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: When Samantha knew she wanted to be an entrepreneur Her background prior to starting her business Note•ify’s products and the basis for the design elements How she decides what products to pursue and which ideas to drop Researching manufacturers and how to decide who to use How Samantha has nurtured her retail clients through her online shop and craft fairs Her strategy on where to direct customers to purchase products when selling from multiple platforms The necessity of managing two stores The statistics she looks at and why Samantha’s advice for those starting out in the product industry How she leverages passive revenue streams What’s coming up for Note•ify KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “I'm done working for the people. I'm going to try this stationery thing. See what happens." - Samantha Barsky “My products are based off all of my original photographs.” - Samantha Barsky “Obviously paper is and was my first love.” - Samantha Barsky “I think it's important to remind people that you don't always get it right the first time. Sometimes, you gotta work through a few different print partners or manufacturing partners or whatever it might be.” - Katie Hunt “I think we all, we start ourselves, but there comes a point where we need to outsource it and pass it off to somebody else.” - Katie Hunt “I do think that they're [Craft Shows] the best way to get direct feedback.” - Samantha Barsky “I have everything on Etsy as well as on my website. I just think it's what you gotta do. I mean, there's traffic there. Why not?” - Samantha Barsky “I will order in smaller quantities at the beginning just to test them and see, and obviously, I'm paying a little bit more, and so my profit margin isn't as great, but I don't want to be stuck with a whole lot of extra inventory.” - Samantha Barsky “I'm a huge proponent of passive income.” - Samantha Barsky LINKS: Website: http://www.noteify.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/noteify Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noteify/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/noteify/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/noteify JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY: Our signature Paper Camp program is back and we’re now enrolling for Winter 2018! Paper Camp Conference our 2-day, intensive conference focused on wholesale and tradeshows will take place March 1 - 2, 2018 in Los Angeles. Our Paper Camp E-Course starts on January 16th and is a 4- week online program with live Q&A calls. Both programs dive deep into product development, sales tools, trade shows, marketing and working with buyers, sales reps and press. Our Paper Camp conference will only run ONCE in 2018, which is a change from previous years. And, we like to keep things intimate so you can get all your questions answered. Get all the details and grab your seat at www.tradeshowcamp.com/papercamp ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!
	16 Jul 2024	349 \| Sales Rep Challenges & Opportunities with Keli Faw, Crow & Canary	00:38:08
I love bringing a variety of perspectives and people from the retail space to this podcast. Buyers, sales reps, you name it, they've been on the Proof to Product podcast. This week's episode, I'm joined by Keli Faw, who is the owner of Crow & Canary. Crow & Canary might sound familiar as we've had the previous owner, Carina Murray, on the show in episode 232. Carina has also been a long-time Paper Camp speaker and supporter of our Proof to Product community. Keli took over Crow & Canary in early 2023 after being a sales rep for the agency and a shop owner in Seattle. With over 13 years of experience as a retailer and a background in communications and PR, including stints at Microsoft and Nordstrom, Keli brings a wealth of knowledge to our conversation. In this episode, Keli shares the challenges retailers face, from managing seasonal returns to making strategic buying decisions. We discuss the impacts of online platforms like Faire and Amazon on the wholesale markets and why there needs to be transparency and strong communication between buyers, reps, and brands. Keli also shares her insights on navigating the sales rep relationship amidst the changes brought on by the pandemic and social media and the importance of understanding individual store dynamics and product diversification. Whether you are a retailer, a sales rep, or a brand owner, this episode offers valuable takeaways on optimizing those wholesale relationships and staying proactive in your business planning. Today’s episode is sponsored by our Unlock Buyer Secrets Interview series. To make a strong first impression with wholesale buyers, we need to do a few things really well: We need to make it easy for stores to purchase from us We need to have clear pricing and terms & conditions We need to clearly communicate and add value at each touchpoint We need to focus on building strong relationships with our customers. And all of this becomes infinitely easier when we actively listen to our customers. This on-demand interview series will give you a competitive edge by providing an exclusive window into what buyers want and need from you. And, the best part, it's only $27 bucks. Get Access to the Unlock Buyer Secrets Interview Series You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/349 Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp
	01 Oct 2019	125 \| Moving from wholesale to licensing with Erin McManness of Paper Raven Co.	00:31:08
As product-based business owners and entrepreneurs, so many of us are under constant pressure to juggle the design and operations sides of our businesses. It can be hard to focus on both moving product and creating the designs for that product, especially when we’re juggling online, wholesale and licensing accounts. Turns out, you don’t always have to do it all. Today’s Proof to Product guest, Erin McManness, is a Paper Camp alumni who’s lived every side of the business and decided to stick to the parts that are most fulfilling for her. I’m excited for you to hear her story. Erin is an illustrator working in Atlanta, Georgia. She's been freelancing full time for five years under her brand Paper Raven Co., which started as a small greeting card line and now includes licensing for an assortment of cards, gifts, fabrics, and home décor. Erin incorporates her values and love for the environment in her work by printing all of her cards on 100% recycled paper in the United States. She also donates $1 from every sale to her reforestation partner, One Tree Planted. Over the course of her career, Erin has collaborated on projects with companies like Macy's, Target, Trader Joe's, Publix, and Aldi. In October, she's releasing her second book, The Art Starts In The Heart: An Inspirational Guide To Making Meaningful Art. On Episode 125, Erin and I sit down to cover all of the above. We talk about how Erin has built the licensing arm of her business, the pros, and cons of flat rate and royalty payments and why she's made the decision to ramp up her licensing arm and slow down on the wholesale side. We also talk about Erin's new book, so enjoy! ON TODAY’S EPISODE: - The inspiration behind Paper Raven Co. - How Erin’s evolved from one stationery line, to multiple product categories, licensing and more - What it’s like to collaborate and design for big brands - The importance of going out and asking for what you want - The difference of working with both smaller and larger brands - Advice on how to navigate negotiations and creative collaborations - How to trust your gut and choose the right projects - Flat rate fees vs royalties - The 3 questions Erin asks herself before choosing to work with brands - Making room for life beyond work - Why you should double check a company’s tracking & metrics before signing a royalty deal - What inspired Erin to make the switch to 100% recycled paper products and partner with One Tree Planted - How to research, evaluate and choose ethical companies to work. with - Tough decisions, book celebrations, and what’s next for Erin KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “You need to go for what you want and if you want something, tailor your portfolio and go ask for it.” - Erin McManness “At tradeshows, and Instagram, too, you never know who's watching. You never know who's paying attention to you or where the next great opportunity will come from.” - Katie Hunt “I love to work with smaller brands because they can be really flexible and they're not this big, huge company. There's a lot of creative freedom and things like that.” - Erin McManness “My rule is that if I get excited and I listen to my body, and my body is like, ‘Yeah, whoa, let's go. This is so exciting, I'm so inspired by this,’ I'm like, "Yeah, let's do it." - Erin McManness “Saying no is difficult for a lot of people, myself included. But when we say yes to everything, we run ourselves ragged and we’re not focused on the things that are really the most important.” - Katie Hunt “I really try to be intentional about structuring my business with what brings me the most joy, what I absolutely love doing.” - Erin McManness “I was ready to move on, but I was so worried about proving that I was a financial success out on my own that I just hustled and hustled and hustled, and I put things off to the side.” - Erin McManness “I realized making art is really what I want to do. Making the art is the most important thing to me.” - Erin McManness “I just want it to be me, I don't want an empire. I just want to be happy, make art, make things that make other people happy.” - Erin McManness “I try to do my research about companies that I work with. Are they ethical? Do they have practices that I can be proud of to be associated with?” - Erin McManness “It’s super important that there are shared values between us and those we're partnering with or collaborating with.” – Katie Hunt LINKS Website: http://www.ShopPaperRavenCo.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paperraven.co/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paperravenco/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/paperravenco/ https://onetreeplanted.org/ SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!
	26 Dec 2017	From the Archives \| Kimberley Yurkiewicz, Crow & Canary on sales reps, why you need a printed catalog for wholesale and the importance of giving back	00:41:41
Happy Holidays friends! I’m so excited to reshare this episode with Kimberley Yurkiewicz with you. Not only is this one of our most downloaded episodes, but its hands down the one I get the most emails about -- podcast listeners praising Kimberley and telling me how helpful the episode was in building their catalogs. <3 Kimberley is one smart cookie and incredibly generous with sharing what she’s learned over the years. She’s mentored hundreds of Paper Camp alumni over the years and I’m so excited that she’ll be back to join us in March 2018 as a Paper Camp speaker. Enjoy the show! -------------- Kimberley is the New York sales representative for Crow + Canary. During her 15+ year career in the stationery industry, Kimberley has worked at Crane & Co., Kate’s Paperie, as well as two of her own independent boutiques. She got her start running a letterpress studio, and has since worked all sides of the business – manufacturing, wholesaling, custom printing, multi-unit retail, buying, merchandising, and now repping. Kimberley’s vast experience in the industry provides a unique and valuable perspective. On today’s episode Kimberley talks about the role of sales reps, why you need a printed catalog for wholesale and the importance of giving back. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: [01:00] Kimberley’s rich background in the stationery industry. [04:30] Meeting Carina Muray, her now boss, through Twitter. [07:30] Overview of a sales rep’s role. [10:00] Tips for reaching out to retailers. [11:30] Keep track of contacts you meet & jot down details you can use in follow up. [12:30] What to end to retailers you’re woo-ing. [13:00] Refining your line & honing in on your unique aesthetic [14:00] Why catalogs are important if you’re selling wholesale [20:00] Line sheets vs catalogs [22:00] Releasing your products when buyers are buying [26:00] The importance of giving back to our industry [29:30] Kimberley is a champion for independent shops, only shops local. [32:30] How our experiences and interests shape us in our work. [36:00] Too much ‘busy’ in our lives. KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “We look at ourselves as sort of a seamless, internal sales mechanism for the lines.” -Kimberley Yurkiewicz on her role as sales rep. "I asked myself what do I want to be doing, what elements of this am I good at, what are my strengths, what am I not interested in pursuing anymore, or what am I too junior for, what am I too senior for, all of those things." -Kimberley Yurkiewicz “My buyers love to get things in the mail, they love to be able to see things and touch them as if they were having an appointment with you.” - Kimberley Yurkiewicz “My buyers want to see things that are not the same as every other thing on Etsy or Instagram” - Kimberley Yurkiewicz “Catalogs are your best friend because they take the place of you when you’re not there” -Kimberley Yurkiewicz MEET KIMBERLEY YURKIEWICZ: Kimberley is the New York sales representative for Crow + Canary. During her 15+ year career in the stationery industry, Kimberley has worked at Crane & Co., Kate’s Paperie, as well as two of her own independent boutiques. She got her start running a letterpress studio, and has since worked all sides of the business – manufacturing, wholesaling, custom printing, multi-unit retail, buying, merchandising, and now repping. She has attended tradeshows as both a buyer and exhibitor. Kimberley’s vast experience in the industry provides a unique and valuable perspective. Website: http://www.crowandcanary.com Instagram: @kimberleycanary Twitter: @kimberleycanary JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY: Interested in learning more about launching or refining a wholesale line or exhibiting at trade shows? Join us for our next Paper Camp conference in Los Angeles. Get more details and register at www.tradeshowcamp.com/papercamp ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode.
	01 Jun 2021	207 \| Why She Closed Her Successful Business with Tammie Bennett, Show Up Society	00:31:43
Closing one chapter and deciding to put an end to things is never easy. Whether that’s discontinuing a product line that was close to your heart or even shutting down your business entirely. In this episode, I had a conversation with Tammie Bennett of Show Up Society. Tammie is a creative entrepreneur and mindset coach who closed down her business at the height of its success. In fact, during the pandemic, her business, Tiger Pocket Press tripled and had tremendous growth but that success didn’t change her mind about where she was headed next. She followed her intuition and decided to close her product based business so she could help people through coaching. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: All about her business she closed, Tiger Pocket Press What made her come to the decision to close her product based business Why she started her podcast, How she told her customers about closing and her process for getting rid of inventory What she did on the coaching side to prepare for this transition Her plan for services to offer and how to package her services Why entrepreneurs and creatives tend to struggle with decision fatigue Her thoughts on why newer entrepreneurs might be more fearless Her tiny daily habits she does every day What clients she typically works with and what she helps them through Why this coaching work is important to Tammie FOR FULL SHOW NOTES, RESOURCES AND A TRANSCRIPT, HEAD TO BIT.LY/PTPEP207 SLOW STEADY GROWTH ARE HOW STRONG BUSINESSES ARE BUILT Building a business is a long game, won with patience, fortitude, intentional decisions and passion. Inside Proof to Product LABS, you’ll receive the support, education and accountability to move your business towards your goals. Join Proof to Product Labs, our 12-month group coaching program built specifically for product based business owners: https://www.prooftoproduct.com/labs FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates: https://www.instagram.com/prooftoproduct/ JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. Be sure SUBSCRIBE, REVIEW and SHARE Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know!
	03 May 2022	247 \| How often should I release new products to the wholesale market with Katie Hunt	00:06:03
The frequency in which you should be releasing new products to the wholesale market used to be pretty straightforward, but with the introduction of Faire and other third party platforms, things have gotten a little muddy. In today’s episode, I’m clearing things up so that your new products are ready for when buyers are primed to purchase, but you’re also not burning yourself out! You can view full show notes and more at prooftoproduct.com/247 Today’s episode is brought to you by Proof to Product LABS, where we’re bringing together new and seasoned product based business owners to strengthen the way they run their businesses. Within our LABS membership, we offer a monthly group coaching call where I offer strategic solutions for product based business owners. Additionally, you can personally ask questions within LABS that might make it onto the podcast, just like this one! Make sure you join our waitlist to be the first to know when the doors open! Join the Waitlist
	23 May 2023	298 \| Why You Should Never Accept a $25 Wholesale Order with Katie Hunt	00:15:34
I completely remember what it was like in the early days of selling wholesale. I felt like I was winging every single decision. I questioned everything I was reading on the internet. And, I was craving a community of other product makers that I could tap into for answers and to share resources. Way back in 2008, that community didn’t exist so I eventually created it. Since 2011, we have helped thousands of brands across industries and across the globe, get their products on the shelves of stores big & small. Our Paper Camp alumni sell to big box stores like Anthropologie, Target, Macys and Barnes & Noble. But, our best customers are the independent brick & mortar retail shops located around the world. Small businesses, just like all the manufacturers that we support in our Paper Camp and LABS programs. I very intentionally point this out, because I’m going to be answering some questions I received in an email about the importance of following industry standards, having strong wholesale terms & conditions, and why I never ever want you fulfilling a $25 wholesale order. I feel it is important for you to understand that our community focuses our energy and efforts on the indie shops, so my feedback is coming from that perspective! Today's episode is brought to you by our Is Wholesale Right for You audio series! This free 12 part audio series will help you decide whether wholesale is a good next step for your specific business. After listening to this audio series, you'll know whether you want to pursue wholesale for your product business and you'll have the confidence and action steps to get started with wholesale. Sign up for the private podcast today! You can view full show notes and more at prooftoproduct.com/298
	04 Mar 2025	383 \| Navigating Seasonal Fluctuations in the Gift & Candle Industry with Sarah Hart, Simply Curated	00:40:51
Today's guest is LABS member, Sarah Hart, the founder and creative director of Simply Curated, a home fragrance brand that has been in business for twelve years. Sarah also recently launched a sister brand called Hart and Co. In this episode, Sarah shares the origins of her candle and home fragrance business, including the pivotal moments and challenges that she faced along the way. She provides insight into the nuances of the candle industry and the unique hurdles that it presents, like seasonal fluctuations in demand and the importance of in-person customer experiences. Sarah also shares what it was like to launch a sister brand that ventures into new territory with a different aesthetic appeal and product approach. Sarah shares how she balances managing two thriving brands to really harness the power of social media in supplementing her business. Today’s episode is brought to you by Digital Lizard, who is a sponsor of our Paper Camp program. Digital Lizard is a leading marketing company that offers a wide range of print, procurement, and creative production solutions, including digital and offset printing, sourcing, and logistics. All of our Paper Camp and our LABS students get access to a private Proof to Product print portal with Digital Lizard, where they get discounted rates on print services and a dedicated sales rep to help us with all of our project management. Many of our community members use Digital Lizard to print products, do their packaging, their catalogs, marketing materials, and more. Digital Lizard offers low minimum quantities and quick turnaround times which our community loves. So if you're looking for a new print partner, our community has great experiences working with Digital Lizard. You can learn more about Digital Lizard's capabilities and services online at digitallizard.com. You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/383 Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp
	28 Nov 2017	035 \| Gia Graham, Betsywhite Stationery on Pinterest, faking it until you make it and why she chose to discontinue her wholesale line	00:32:43
Gia Graham is the founder of Betsywhite Stationery. Gia started her first stationery business in 2005 and has been undergone major transitions over the last 12 years. She’s renamed and rebranded her business, shifted from custom work to ready-made products, ramped up wholesale to the point she was working with big box stores and multiple reps and most recently she’s scaling back and slowing down. On today’s episode we’re talking about how pinterest helped her business, the importance of faking it until you make it, and why she chose to discontinue her wholesale line. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: What prompted Gia to launch her business How her business first began Rebranding her business as “Betsywhite” and the transitions her business underwent How Pinterest impacted and enhanced her business Learning how to create Pinterest ads The importance of having beautiful pictures of your products How fakin’ it ‘til you make it really does work Creating a line that could be sold wholesale Making the decision to discontinue selling on the wholesale market How her life and business has changed since discontinuing her wholesale business What’s next for Betsywhite The importance of determining what success looks like for yourself The advice that she would give to someone just starting out in a product-based business KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “I chose Betsywhite because it linked to my heritage; I'm from Barbados and I had this book of Barbadian dialect and "betsywhite" was in there. It refers to the chirp of a local bird that we have in Barbados.” - Gia Graham “Pinterest came on the scene, and that made a big change in how I was able to connect with customers.” - Gia Graham “It wasn't as easy to connect with customers with just the wedding invitations anymore, so I realized that I needed to pivot a little bit so that I stay afloat.” - Gia Graham “If you can style your photos and your products in ways that people can see themselves using them or having them in their home, they want to buy.” - Katie Hunt “The "fake it 'til you make it" absolutely works.” - Gia Graham “I was forced to step outside of the hustle and look at it from the outside, and you know, that helped me to really take stock and think about what I really wanted.” - Gia Graham “I loved designing products, I loved all of that, but what I didn't love was the never-ending churn.” - Gia Graham “You cannot look at what anybody else is doing because you have no idea that's going on behind the scenes.” - Gia Graham “It's weird that it took me forever to realize that, ‘Hey, you're your own boss. Do what works for you.’” - Gia Graham “The goal now is to figure out how to work even smarter rather than working harder.” - Gia Graham “You have to determine for yourself what success looks like.” - Gia Graham LINKS: Website: https://betsywhite.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shopbetsywhite Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shopbetsywhite/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/shopbetsywhite/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/shopbetsywhite JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY: Our signature Paper Camp program is back and we’re now enrolling for Winter 2018! We’re talking about product development sales tools, trade shows, marketing, working with buyers, sales reps and the press. Attend live or online. It’s the similar content, available in different formats. Paper Camp Conference: an intensive 2-day program taking place March 1-2 in Los Angeles. Paper Camp E-Course: 4-week online program with live Q&A calls starting January 16th. Figure out which program is best for you and grab your seat at www.tradeshowcamp.com/papercamp ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!
	21 Jan 2025	376 \| How to Start Licensing Your Art with Bonnie Christine, The Professional Creative	00:33:24
Have you ever thought about licensing your art, but have no idea where to start? Licensing can be a really great supplemental revenue stream for your business. Nowadays, there are lots of folks looking for art to apply to their products. This week, we have Bonnie Christine on the show. She's an internationally renowned surface pattern designer, an entrepreneur, and an award-winning online educator. She's been creating artwork for brands and products around the world since 2009. She's a self-taught designer and runs the Surface Design Immersion program that's geared for creative entrepreneurs. She's also the host of the Professional Creative Podcast, I have an interview coming out on her show soon. During our interview, we talk about how making residual income through art licensing, how it can be lengthy, but also rewarding process, and also a great way to make extra income for your business. We also talk about the importance of being proactive, how to handle rejection as a creative, and a breakdown of how creatives can use an art agent. We'll also cover the benefits of in-house sales team and the evolving impact of AI on art and business. Today’s episode is brought to you by our Proof to Product LABS coaching program. This is a coaching program specifically built for product-based business owners, with members from across industries and across the globe. We have member-only events inside of LABS, so request your invitation to join below! REQUEST YOUR INVITATION You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/376 Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp
	19 Nov 2024	370 \| Building Strong Sales Rep Relationships with Kelly Bristol, Just Got 2 Have It	00:45:19
Today on the podcast, I have the pleasure of talking about sales reps with Kelly Bristol from Just Got 2 Have It. I can't believe it's taken me this long to have Kelly on the show because we have known each other for a very long time, and she has a wide range of knowledge that I'm excited for you to hear. She is the Vice President of Business Development at Just Got 2 Have It, a B2B sales rep agency with 5 divisions serving 36 states. Kelly is an accomplished senior leader with nearly 25 years of experience in the gift and home industry. She has experience working at the National Stationery Show, Dallas Market Center, Brandwise, and Market Time, as well as Purchasing Power Plus, a hospital gift-buying group. She's a board member for Gift for Life, the gift and home industry's longest-running volunteer-led national charitable organization. She is a founding partner of the new industry movement called Reps Are Local Too. During this episode, we talk about the ever-evolving retail landscape, the importance of strategic planning, shifts in buying patterns, and the continued need for community over competition within the industry. We also discuss emerging trends and challenges posed by platforms like Faire, as well as the importance of sales reps' local market knowledge and how that can benefit brands. Also, we talk about how brands can successfully navigate the competitive space and utilize sales reps for more sales. Today’s episode is sponsored by our Unlock Buyer Secrets Interview series. To make a strong first impression with wholesale buyers, we need to do a few things really well: We need to make it easy for stores to purchase from us We need to have clear pricing and terms & conditions We need to clearly communicate and add value at each touchpoint We need to focus on building strong relationships with our customers. And all of this becomes infinitely easier when we actively listen to our customers. This on-demand interview series will give you a competitive edge by providing an exclusive window into what buyers want and need from you. And, the best part, it's only $27 bucks. Get Access to the Unlock Buyer Secrets Interview Series You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/370 Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp
	13 Aug 2024	355 \| How Big Box Stores Buy Wholesale with Sally Diguette, Anthropologie	00:35:21
Pitching large retailers is a completely different process and timeline than working with independent retailers. Having worked with thousands of brands, I know that it can feel like an intimidating process to pitch your work to these key accounts. Today on the podcast, we're pulling back the curtain and explaining how it all works. My guest today is Sally Diguette, a home and lifestyle buyer with Anthropologie. Through an unpredictable path, Sally landed in the retail industry and has over 14 years of experience in buying, product development, and sourcing. Sally is an innovative merchant and consultant. She centers her work around relationship building and creative strategy, combining unique product development and sourcing from national brands across a variety of categories. Her passion lies in working with emerging brands in an incubator capacity to build fresh product offerings, solid organizational systems, and a strong team structure. On today's episode, Sally shares about the buying process and schedule for Anthropologie. We talk specifically about the timelines that she's working with for both exclusive products as well as ready made products. And she offers advice for how to get your products in front of key account buyers. Today’s episode is sponsored by our Unlock Buyer Secrets Interview series. To make a strong first impression with wholesale buyers, we need to do a few things really well: We need to make it easy for stores to purchase from us We need to have clear pricing and terms & conditions We need to clearly communicate and add value at each touchpoint We need to focus on building strong relationships with our customers. And all of this becomes infinitely easier when we actively listen to our customers. This on-demand interview series will give you a competitive edge by providing an exclusive window into what buyers want and need from you. And, the best part, it's only $27 bucks. Get Access to the Unlock Buyer Secrets Interview Series You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/355 Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp
	13 Nov 2018	079 \| Alison Prince on how she leverages influencers to sell her products and why testing your product is the most important thing you can do in e-commerce.	00:44:54
Alison Prince is an e-commerce expert and a woman on a mission. She is a business-savvy determined woman who knows how to create something amazing out of nothing. Over the last seven years, Allison has started eight e-commerce businesses, many of which are multi-million dollar brands. She’s sold everything from apparel to technology to household items — she’s sold everything under the sun — growing dollars into millions and pennies into thousands. On today’s episode, we talk about how Allison built her deal of a day website and then leveraged best selling products to create their own site and brand. She also shares how she leverages influencers to sell her product and why testing your product is the most important thing you can do in e-commerce. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Alison’s career background Why she left the classroom for entrepreneurship Her first experience selling products online The different types of products she has sold online & how she decides what to sell How & when she first introduced her daughters to entrepreneurship Where she is selling products The benefits of testing a product before investing in a large quantity What she does with overstock of products How she uses influencers in her marketing Alison’s tips on approaching influencers How she leverages discounts on her products The biggest driver of Alison’s success in business How she uses ClickFunnels & the success that she has had with it What’s next for Alison KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “I started going to the library and checking out books and magazines on how people made money.” - Alison Prince “I realized the entrepreneur journey isn't a straight line. It is literally a rollercoaster ride, and if I got in, I'm going for that ride.” - Alison Prince “Remember the school teacher who was qualified for food stamps? Like, I had a multimillion-dollar business because I didn't give up.” - Alison Prince “I think that's where a lot of people can flub up, is they go and they buy a couple grand in product. Don't do that.” - Alison Prince “ I couldn't go and build a huge eCommerce site with a whole bunch of SKUs and a whole bunch of variations, because I literally could not afford to do that, so I could only put up one product a day.” - Alison Prince “Just test it. Buy a small amount, get a small amount, and then send out an email list. If it doesn't sell, that's fine; you've got Christmas presents for all your friends and family.” - Alison Prince “I think the reason why I succeeded is because I failed so much.” - Alison Prince “Don't be so confident and stuck in your head that you're not willing to test. You have to test your product, and then you can invest the money.” - Alison Prince “The key to success is a micro-influencer. Don't go after the big guys.” - Alison Prince “The more engagement you can have, the better results you're going to have. It's not about the numbers anymore; it's all about community.” - Alison Prince “I have to make sure my product's good, I have to make sure my pricing's good, I've got to make sure it will convert, because an influencer can drive traffic, but it's up to you to make sure that you've got a good offer.” - Alison Prince “I love discounts because it helps me to control my lifestyle.” - Alison Prince “I feel like you can create a Black Friday special any day of the year.” - Alison Prince “I'm not afraid to test. I'm not afraid to fail. I'm not afraid to be a hot mess, because that's just who I am, right?” - Alison Prince “With ClickFunnels, you can put blinders on your customers to help them focus.” - Alison Prince “We don't have to go out and get big huge bank loans anymore. We don't have to have brick and mortar, we don't have to go to China anymore to manufacture our products. We've got technology, we've got the Internet right here in our hands to be able to use.” - Alison Prince ‘My heart is in watching others succeed.” - Alison Prince CONNECT WITH ALISON PRINCE Website: https://www.alisonjprince.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/becauseicanclan/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alisonjprince/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIRyTXZMYxyyhB8VTpthLpw LINKS Shopify ClickFunnels PickYourPlum PTP Episode 067 \| Don Hejny, Nerdwax Nerdwax Fiverr Because I Can Clan What if you could sit in a room with 30 other product makers who are doing exactly what you’re doing -- building a business they love! You could share resources, leverage each other’s experiences and learn from those who are where you want to be. Imagine the growth potential! Join us March 14-15th in Los Angeles for our Paper Camp Conference. Over 800 brands have attended Paper Camp. Brands that sell to stores like Target, Paper Source, Container Store, Anthropologie and independent boutiques internationally. This program is for you if you’re a stationery or gift company interested in selling wholesale, exhibiting at trade shows or looking to expand your outreach to wholesale customers. We believe in the power of community, collaboration and sharing everything we know. Get all the details and register at www.tradeshowcamp.com/papercamp SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!
	17 Jan 2019	087 \| Part 2 - Natasha Case, Coolhaus on messaging and storytelling, why leadership and managing are different skills and why its good for entrepreneurs to dream big	00:32:11
Natasha Case is the CEO of Coolhaus, a Los Angeles based ice cream company specializing in unique, sweet-meet-savory flavors. This is Part 2 of her interview. If you missed Part 1 which was Episode 86, I recommend you head back and listen to that one first. In Part 2 of her interview, Natasha talks about her approach to scaling, how she tackled grocery and scoop shops at the same time, and how she continues to entwine the three arms of the business to support each other. We talked about how she balances deadlines and creativity, the importance of thinking outside the box, and how Natasha’s perspective of leadership and management has changed over the years. Natasha also shared the importance of building new relationships and innovating ideas that keep Coolhaus on top of its game as zealous expansion continues. Here’s the background scoop on Coolhaus in case you missed it earlier- Natasha first began exploring the concept of “Farchitecture” – or, Food + Architecture – in her graduate architecture program. She started baking cookies, making ice cream, and combining them into “cool houses”. In 2009 she met co-founder Freya Estreller, and together they staged Coolhaus’ unforgettable launch in a refurbished postal van at the famous Coachella Valley Music Festival. In less than ten years, Coolhaus has snowballed into a nationwide company. They now distribute to 6,000+ grocery stores ranging from Whole Foods to Safeway to Publix markets with 30 SKU’s including hand-crafted ice cream sandwiches, artisan pints, and chocolate-dipped bars. Natasha has been named Forbes 30 Under 30 for food and beverage and Zagat's 30 Under 30 in New York City. She is also the co-host of the Start to Sale podcast, where she invites the brightest entrepreneurial minds to discuss all that it takes to build a company from launch to exit. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: How the three arms of her business support each other The importance of tapping into your purpose Why leadership and managing are different skills How the Coolhaus team has grown over the years Why thinking outside the box is critical in a new era of marketing How Natasha’s Angeleno roots influence Coolhaus’s diversity and inclusion Her advice for other entrepreneurs just starting on their journey What’s up next for Coolhaus KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “Just grinding and doing the work with a sense of purpose, and with a sense of like, "This is something I love and I really want to get it out there." That's the most important thing .” - Natasha Case, Coolhaus “I just literally wandered into my local Whole Foods and I found the guy stocking the freezer shelf and I asked him, "How do I become a brand that you sell?” -Natasha Case, Coolhaus “At that time we didn’t know what's going to hit, so we said let's do a little bit of both .” -Natasha Case, Coolhaus “What has made that work is the trucks being that activation, private event, really, that specialty experience. And the shops having that element as well, but being a place to test ideas.” -Natasha Case, Coolhaus “You have to really learn to understand people and what motivates them and what about what you're doing is going to speak to them.” -Natasha Case, Coolhaus “As the company grows and you can afford to hire stronger and stronger people, it becomes this snowball effect and I think you learn from them and you become better at what you're doing.” -Natasha Case, Coolhaus “So trust your instincts, listen to the experts and know when to take the advice, but also know when to trust your gut.” - Natasha Case, Coolhaus “What does this mean for you in five, 10, 20 years? If this thing went all the way, if it was the biggest it can be, what does that look like? Where does that put you personally?” -Natasha Case, Coolhaus “Always trying to think outside the box. That's definitely a big, big part of the marketing these days. And frankly, you often don't have a choice.” -Natasha Case, Coolhaus “There are so many different ways to put it out there. I think you kind of pick where you can really shine. And anything that you do, how does it align with your messaging and your storytelling? Every single time. You have to hammer it home so hard.” -Natasha Case, Coolhaus “I think leadership is more kind of in your DNA, like, you instinctually love to lead or know how to inspire people, because that's a lot of what business is, "Are people really believing in your mission?” -Natasha Case, Coolhaus CONNECT WITH COOLHAUS: Website: https://cool.haus/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Coolhaus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coolhaus/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/coolhaus/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/COOLHAUS Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/add/coolhausla What if you could sit in a room with 30 other product makers who are doing exactly what you’re doing -- building a business they love! You could share resources, leverage each other’s experiences and learn from those who are where you want to be. Imagine the growth potential! Join us March 14-15th in Los Angeles for our Paper Camp Conference. Over 800 brands have attended Paper Camp. Brands that sell to stores like Target, Paper Source, Container Store, Anthropologie and independent boutiques internationally. This program is for you if you’re a stationery or gift company interested in selling wholesale, exhibiting at trade shows or looking to expand your outreach to wholesale customers. We believe in the power of community, collaboration and sharing everything we know. Get all the details and register at www.tradeshowcamp.com/papercamp SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!
	16 Oct 2018	075 \| Shelley Seguinot, I'm Inkpressed on shifting selling wholesale to licensing her art.	00:32:55
TSBC alum, Shelley Seguinot began her creative journey in 2013 when she opened I’m Inkpressed, a wholesale stationery company specializing in children’s products. As the paper industry evolved and she saw the digital market expanding, she adjusted her business to focused her effort on the art licensing world. She now licenses her art to various companies that put her work on a wide range of products. On today’s episode, Shelley shares how she left a 20-year career in law enforcement to start her businesses. She tells us how she got her first licensing deal, fears she had when she first started licensing her art and why it’s so valuable to find mentors and community if licensing is something you want to pursue for your business. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Shelley’s career path prior to starting her stationery business How she knew she wanted to jump into her business full-time When she realized licensing was a potential revenue source for her Her first licensing deal The fears she had surrounding licensing her art The process of licensing artwork When she transitioned her business to solely licensing work How she makes it easier for people to see her work & the importance of seeking out companies for licensing opportunities The buying seasons for licensing art Whether she likes working within parameters or having freedom and flexibility in her work What a buyout is versus a limited buyout The industry standard price ranges Shelley’s favorite licensing project Her advice to someone just getting started in licensing The common misconceptions around licensing What’s next for Shelley KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “I just don't mind putting myself out there and speaking to people and just digging in and getting to the root of things.” - Shelley Seguinot “I saw a big change in the paper industry. Everything was starting to go digital.” - Shelley Seguinot “This affords me the opportunity to still make money while I'm mostly just producing art.” - Shelley Seguinot “For artists like myself who aren't represented by an agent, you really have to go out there and seek these companies.” - Shelley Seguinot “It's a lot of follow up. It's just about building a relationship, because there's a lot of artists and they have a lot of places where they can go and buy their art.” - Shelley Seguinot “I like freedom. I definitely like freedom because I have a color problem.” - Shelley Seguinot “Everyone has their own model and not everything's licensing. A lot of them just want to buy the art outright.” - Shelley Seguinot “Once you're in front of the customer, you really just have to wing it and come up with your own. You have to price out how attached you are to the art.” - Shelley Seguinot “I'm one of those diehard snail mail people, so I know that paper is where my heart is at. It's what gave me my start. So, designing greeting cards and designing invitations is still my passion.” - Shelley Seguinot “The best money you could ever spend if you're trying to make it in that industry is just get someone to give you professional advice.” - Shelley Seguinot “It takes a lot of research. It's a lot of making connections and building that community and finding people to guide you.” - Shelley Seguinot CONNECT WITH SHELLEY SEGUINOT Website: http://www.shelleyseguinot.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iminkpressed/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/shelleyseguinot LINKS: Blueprint Ronnie Walter Shelley’s Skillshare Courses BOOTH BLUEPRINT If you’re gearing up for trade show season and need help creating a beautiful booth that doesn’t break the bank, I want to invite you to my free masterclass. I’m sharing my three secrets to maximize your trade show investment and keep wholesale orders coming in long after you trade show end. To join me for this FREE workshop, head to www.theboothblueprint.com to register! SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!
	31 Jul 2018	067 \| Don Hejny, Nerdwax on managing risk, running a debt free business and why success can sometimes lead to failure	00:47:13
Don Hejny is the inventor of Nerdwax, a wax based product that keeps your glasses in place. Nerdwax was launched on Kickstarter in 2014 and featured on the hit television show Shark Tank the following year. Nerdwax is hand made in Nashville, TN and shipped all over the world. On today’s episode we talked about managing risk, running a debt free business and why Don strives to work smarter, not harder. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: How Don came up with the idea for Nerdwax Starting a Kickstarter campaign & what his experience was with it The timeline for fulfilling orders after the Kickstarter campaign The importance of planning for success What the Shark Tank experience was like & what his goals were for it How they handled the influx of orders after their episode aired The infrastructure of Nerdwax & how they have approached scaling Why Don strives to work smarter, not harder Don’s priority to stay debt-free How Don creates a great customer experience Don’s advice for someone just starting out in a product-based business The fact that many entrepreneurs over-think things, especially at the beginning What’s next for Nerdwax When they decided to branch out into other product categories What Don has learned about himself through starting and growing Nerdwax KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “I thought if surfers use wax on their boards in the water, I bet I can make something like that for your glasses.” - Don Hejny “That's really the power of the internet, if you really put yourself out there, and you do it in a way where people get it, you can have that energy and it doesn't all have to be manufactured.” - Don Hejny “With the Kickstarter community if you tell your story, it's a community of people like you who have ideas, who love new ideas, who love adopting new ideas, and they're totally willing to take that risk with you, as long as it's a manageable risk.” - Don Hejny “The thing about Kickstarter though is, even though we pushed that deadline, if you are honest and open, and you keep people updated, and you keep people engaged, there's so much forgiveness within that community.” - Don Hejny “You can never mitigate risk entirely.” - Don Hejny “That was one of the most nerve wracking parts about Shark Tank is that you don't know what piece of that puzzle they're going to actually air.” - Don Hejny “Once we aired on Shark Tank, that episode, we had like $130,000 in sales. We did that in the weekend after we aired on Shark Tank. So, it was just like rocket ship.” - Don Hejny “One of the things that happens on Shark Tank all the time, is companies get this huge influx in orders, and then they just totally screw their people because they don't prep for it.” - Don Hejny “We've just DIYed it from the beginning, and stayed scrappy, and kept going within our means.” - Don Hejny “You're going to reach a point where you just can't throw more bodies at it. You can't throw more time at it. You can't throw more energy at it, you've got to work smarter. Then there's times where it's like, no, you’ve just got to put your shoulder down and just dig in and do some work.” - Don Hejny “Figure out how to create the business that allows you to have margin to grow more efficiently.” - Don Hejny “If you don't like it, you just let us know, we'll shoot you a refund, super easy.” - Don Hejny “If you can give yourself more margin, and you can assume positive intent, I think you can just treat people the way that you want to be retreated.” - Don Hejny “If you think you're going to make one thing and you don't have the resources for that, think, what could I make with what I have today, and how do I transition it into that?” - Don Hejny “Being four years into this, I've learned a lot to just fail quicker, don't drag things out. If it's not working, figure out a new path, and transition quicker.” - Don Hejny “When you're climbing the mountain, and all you see is the rocks in front of you, and all of you see as the challenges, and you got to turn around and look out once in a while.” - Don Hejny “If you're sitting out there trying to make waves in the ocean, you're never going to get anywhere. You have to wait for the wave to come.” - Don Hejny CONNECT WITH DON: Website: http://www.nerdwax.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nerdwax Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nerdwax/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbqydh_ENh0SkU37Ka1Kc-Q Twitter: https://twitter.com/nerdwax LINKS: Episode 64 with Rosie of Sugarfina If you’re gearing up for trade show season and need help creating a beautiful booth that doesn’t break the bank, I want to invite you to my free masterclass. I’m sharing my three secrets to maximize your trade show investment and keep wholesale orders coming in long after you trade show end. To join me for this FREE workshop, head to www.theboothblueprint.com to register! To learn more and register, head to https://tsbc.teachable.com/p/pce. I look forward to having you there! SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!
	20 Apr 2021	200 \| The Most Common Thread Among Entrepreneurs (You Might Be Surprised!) with Katie Hunt	00:12:32
Hey friends! Can you believe that it’s the 200th episode of the Proof to Product podcast? Quick confession: I’ve been stewing over this episode and what I’d cover for weeks to celebrate this landmark 200th episode. After grappling with this thought for a while, something happened at home that really put it all into perspective and brought me a lightbulb moment. In this episode, I share that story with you and reveal the one common thread that ties all entrepreneurs together (and it might even surprise you!). ON TODAY’S EPISODE: The common thread that ties all entrepreneurs together A personal story that demonstrates this skill Some of the stories we’ve shared over 200 episodes FOR FULL SHOW NOTES, RESOURCES AND A TRANSCRIPT, HEAD TO BIT.LY/PTPEP200 SLOW STEADY GROWTH ARE HOW STRONG BUSINESSES ARE BUILT If you want support from our community, coaching with me and resources to help you continue thriving as you grow your business, be sure to check out my Proof to Product LABS program. It’s my 12-month group coaching program built specifically for product based business owners: https://www.prooftoproduct.com/labs FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates: https://www.instagram.com/prooftoproduct/ JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. Be sure SUBSCRIBE, REVIEW and SHARE Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know!
	27 Jun 2023	We're on Summer Break!	00:01:14
The Proof to Product podcast team and I are practicing what we preach and the podcast is taking a summer break! We will be back with a new podcast episode on Tuesday, July 25th, and we have some incredible things lined up for you! While we're on hiatus, be sure you dip back into the archives of over 300 incredible episodes to help you streamline and scale your business. Plus, we'll even be sharing a few reruns of our favorite episodes as well! If you've been thinking about joining us for Paper Camp to ramp up the wholesale portion of your business, get yourself on the waitlist at prooftoproduct.com/papercamp. Enrollment opens later this summer! JOIN THE WAITLIST Have a great few weeks and I will see you on July 25th! Work with Katie: LABS: community & coaching for product-based businesses Paper Camp: get your products on the shelves of stores big & small Free Resource Library: classes, resources & tools to help you grow your product business
	09 Oct 2018	074 \| Elle Drouin, Styled Stock Society on using stock photography to streamline social media and why our products & services need to solve a problem	00:34:00
Elle Drouin is the founder of three businesses that she currently runs — wonderfelle MEDIA, Styled Stock Society and she’s the human behind @mochiandthecity. After several years working as the Director of Marketing & Digital Strategy for e-commerce businesses, Elle launched her own business to focus on helping other women build brands that are as profitable as they are pretty. Elle currently runs the Styled Stock Society, a stylish stock photography membership for women entrepreneurs, as well as works as a commercial photographer for beauty and lifestyle brands. Elle’s dog Mochi is a 4 year old maltipoo model and influencer with over 100,000 Instagram followers. Elle and Mochi have been featured on Entrepreneur, CNBC, the Today Show, and a number of other media outlets. They’ve collaborated with brands like American Express, Disney, Google, and The Ritz-Carlton and also use their platform to raise awareness for organizations like the Humane Society and local shelters. On today’s episode we talked about the benefits of using stock photography, strategies, processes and tools for streamlining social media and and why we need to focus on solving a problem as we build our products and services. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Her three business & what she does for each Her career path prior to becoming an entrepreneur The types of customers Styled Stock Society caters to How her customers are using her images and how she customizes her photos for specific brands and needs The aesthetic of her photos & collections When she realized that Styled Stock Society was going to be successful How Mochi became a social media influencer Mochi’s online persona How Elle came up with who Mochi’s ideal follower is The processes and programs Elle uses for social media scheduling Which social media platform has been the most profitable for Elle Her advice for entrepreneurs What’s next for Styled Stock Society & Mochi KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “I wanted to figure out a way that I could help people with their marketing that didn't involve me talking all-day long.” - Elle Drouin “You're solving a problem for these business owners that are wearing so many hats, and they just can't do all of these things themselves.” - Katie Hunt “There are a lot of different ways you can customize the photos to be more specific to your brand.” - Elle Drouin “One of the things that we try to do is have a lot of negative space in certain photos in our collections so that there is room if you have maybe a desktop that has a few different items on it. You could actually drop a product image in it so it would look like it's sitting on the desktop with the rest of the other things.” - Elle Drouin “The level of effort that I put into the business just makes so much more sense to me than all the time I was spending doing things that were more one-on-one versus one-to-many.” - Elle Drouin “Mochi is a very Cosmopolitan dog in New York. She dresses up. She goes out for cocktails. She's currently in the middle of a summer in the Hamptons.” - Elle Drouin “Similar to creating any other type of brand for business or your person, just really thought about who the people are that were following her at that point and decided to be more strategic about creating content specifically for them.” - Elle Drouin “It's less about her real life, because her real life is 90% napping, and more just like a fun, creative outlet and a way that we have found to connect with people all over the world.” - Elle Drouin “I would say 80% of the time, we are trying to create engaging content, trying to get to know our audience, trying to relate to them and find ways that we can help them. Then, that 20% is the more obvious promotional sales focus.” - Elle Drouin “I'm creating visual content and selling photos to people, so people are more likely to find me on visual platforms.” - Elle Drouin “Solve a problem. Don't start with an idea because it's just something that you want to do but really think about who you want to serve and how you're helping them.” - Elle Drouin “The types of content that you create, everything you put out there is going to be affected by your why and what you're just trying to do.” - Elle Drouin CONNECT WITH ELLE DROUIN Website: https://elledrouin.com/ Elle's social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elledrouin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elledrouin/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/elledrouin/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/elledrouin Mochi’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mochiandthecity/ Styled Stock Society social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/styledstocksociety/ BOOTH BLUEPRINT If you’re gearing up for trade show season and need help creating a beautiful booth that doesn’t break the bank, I want to invite you to my free masterclass. I’m sharing my three secrets to maximize your trade show investment and keep wholesale orders coming in long after you trade show end. To join me for this FREE workshop, head to www.theboothblueprint.com to register! SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!
	29 Aug 2017	019 \| Victoria Venturi, Paper Epiphanies on marketing to multiple sales channels, building relationships with press and the importance of honing your brand voice and messaging	00:35:27
TSBC Alum, Victoria Venturi is the founder of Paper Epiphanies, a paper and lifestyle brand that empowers women. Prior to being her own boss, Victoria worked in PR Marketing for really large brands such as FOX, Disney, Warner Bros., and Hilton Hotels. On today’s episode, we’re talking about balancing wholesale and retail outreach, how to build relationships with the press and the importance of honing your message and articulating the why of your business. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Victoria’s background in stand-up comedy and public relations The beginning of Paper Epiphanies The mission and vision behind Paper Epiphanies Focusing on your core audience and accepting that her products are not for everyone The value of knowing your why Paper Epiphanies business model & launching both retail and wholesale simultaneously Why it was important for Victoria to launch wholesale from the beginning The differences in marketing to wholesale clients and retail customers Creating cohesion in your brand How to approach press outreach Victoria’s best practices in following up with media contacts Call to actions for day to day life in business How Paper Epiphanies has navigated transitional times of major growth The benefit of adding rep groups slowly Victoria’s advice for up and comer entrepreneurs in the product space What’s next for Paper Epiphanies KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "I wanna write for women and I 90% of my buyers are female, so, I don't care if I'm alienating men. Screw 'em like this is a line for women, about women." - Victoria Venturi “I think for me the company really came full circle when I launched Kiss My Pumps, 'cause I was able to have that fun irreverent side with our greeting cards, but then also really tap into that mission, and that why for our company, which is empowering women.” - Victoria Venturi “There’s some people that don't like our brand and that's okay because we’re not for everyone.” - Victoria Venturia Venturi “It's really important to have an authentic voice and know why you're doing what you're doing.” - Victoria Venturi “It doesn't have to be some huge over powering existential point, it just has to be your why. What motivates you, and what makes you unique.” - Victoria Venturi “Every decision you make should be driving back to that same goal, or that same mission, or whatever it might be.” - Katie Hunt “I would say that saying no to things is almost more important than saying yes, or deciding on how to say no to things is more important because every day we're inundated with opportunities but choosing, which ones are the right ones.” - Katie Hunt “A media list with 10 people that's well thought out that has specific references to articles is way more effective than a hundred-person media list where you're just sending blank mass emails.” - Victoria Venturi “Grow your business at your pace, with what you're comfortable with, and success is year over year growth-- doesn't matter if it's five dollars, or if it's 500% year over year growth.” - Victoria Venturi “...each time you have one of these new projects you learn how to do it better, and it's not as scary. As you grow the things you do down the road you're gonna be amazed at yourself.” - Victoria Venturi MEET VICTORIA VENTURI: Victoria is the founder of Paper Epiphanies. Prior to launching Paper Epiphanies, Victoria was a communications and marketing executive and spent more than ten years launching successful campaigns for big brands including FOX(r), American Idol, GLEE, Disney(r), Nickelodeon(r), Warner Bros.(r), Hilton Hotels and many more. Spoiler alert: she may have spent a few years dabbling in stand-up comedy on the side. In 2014, she followed a life-long dream to create a lifestyle and paper goods company. Her vision? A beautiful and feminine line of stationery and office goods that pushed the envelope and didn't need to play by the rules. Thus, Paper Epiphanies was born! Victoria lives in Portland, OR with her husband and fur baby, Twinkie. Paper Epiphanies is a two-time Louie Award winner, including the recipient of the coveted Rising Star Award. Paper Epiphanies can be found in more than 500 stores around the world. CONNECT: Website: www.paperepiphanies.com Facebook: @paperepiphanies Instagram: @paperepiphanies Twitter: @paperepiphanies JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY: Paper Camp is all SOLD out, but we’ll be opening up our Paper Camp E-Course in the next few weeks! Join the waitlist online here to get all the details! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode.
	27 Nov 2019	From the Archives \| Why you can’t rely solely on social media for sales with Nicole Walters, The Monetized Life	00:30:23
Happy almost-Thanksgiving Proof to Product Friends! This week we’re taking a break to spend time with loved ones and we hope you are all able to do the same. In case you find yourself on a road trip, waiting to catch an airplane or with some much-needed downtime, we’re sharing three great episodes from the archives. It’s a binge-worthy week starting on- Tuesday you’ll hear how Johnny & Joanna at Letterfolk reinvented the Letterboard Wednesday Nicole Walters will remind us why we can’t rely on social media for sales And on Thursday, I’ll talk with Kelly Parker Smith about prioritizing profitable projects. Happy Thanksgiving to all of our listeners in the United States. I’m grateful for all of you and I hope you have a wonderful week. Thank you for listening and supporting Proof to Product. We’ll be back with a new episode on December 3rd!
	23 Mar 2021	196 \| When should you outsource social media with Andréa Jones, OnlineDrea	00:40:00
Hey friends! How are you feeling about social media these days? Is it lighting you up? Does it leave you feeling heavy? I personally have been on both sides of the pendulum and thought my guest in this episode would be perfect to help you determine if it’s time to outsource social. I had on Andréa Jone of OnlineDrea to walk us through everything we need to know. She explains the pros and cons of hiring a social media agency versus hiring a VA or freelance social strategist. We chat about what you need to know before you hire and how she tests potential hires with paid projects! ON TODAY’S EPISODE: The biggest mistakes ecommerce brands make on social media Signs it might be time to outsource your social media The pros and cons of hiring an agency vs. a freelancer How her agency helps clients formulate KPIs How to make your hiring knowledgeable people What a test project looks like when hiring someone for a role Her onboarding process and how she gets to know clients and their brands FOR FULL SHOW NOTES, RESOURCES AND A TRANSCRIPT, HEAD TO BIT.LY/PTPEP196 SLOW STEADY GROWTH ARE HOW STRONG BUSINESSES ARE BUILT Building a business is a long game, won with patience, fortitude, intentional decisions and passion. Inside Proof to Product LABS, you’ll receive the support, education and accountability to move your business towards your goals. Join Proof to Product Labs, our 12-month group coaching program built specifically for product based business owners: https://www.prooftoproduct.com/labs FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates: https://www.instagram.com/prooftoproduct/ JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. Be sure SUBSCRIBE, REVIEW and SHARE Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know!
	29 Sep 2020	173 \| Creating Social Change Through Products & Intentional Business Practices with Betsy Garcia, Bloomwolf Studio	00:35:35
Hey friends! I am really excited for you to listen in to today’s episode with Betsy Garcia of Bloomwolf Studio. Betsy was on her way to medical school when she decided she wanted to pursue the small business life and sell her art. Bloomwolf Studio is a Latina owned & operated illustration and design studio based in Orlando that strives to create change through art and messaging. In this powerful and transparent episode, Betsy and I talk about the mission behind Bloomwolf and how Betsy and her husband Luis actively weave their personal beliefs into their everyday business practices. Betsy shares details about developing and expanding her product line, including mistakes they made in their first product runs. We also talked about business finances. At the beginning of 2020, Betsy and Luis set out to increase their annual revenue by 25% and they exceeded this in the first 8 months of the year. Betsy talks about tools they use to track their financial progress and what they’ve done to pivot their business model to stay on track with these financial goals, despite the pandemic. And, we capped off the convo talking about TikTok. How she’s using it to promote her brand and products, how she gained 7,500 users in her first month on the platform and what she does to plan out her marketing for the year. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Why she decided to start a business instead of pursuing medical school How they got started with zero background in business Their process of developing their first products How Betsy decided which products to add into her line Why she’s decided to be more vocal about social issues and the action steps they’re taking Her process for planning out her marketing strategy How she and Luis decided to reach for a 25% increase in annual revenue What they’ve done to pivot this year to stay on track toward financial goals New things they’ve implemented that weren’t in their 2020 plan Where they’re currently at in their revenue goal Tools they use to track their financial progress Her experience with using TikTok for her business RESOURCES: Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine MEET BETSY: Bloomwolf Studio is a Latina owned & operated illustration and design studio based in Orlando, Florida. Launched by husband and wife, Luis Sosa and Betsy Garcia, Bloomwolf Studio was started in November of 2015 after Betsy forewent her plans of applying to medical school. With the unwavering support of Luis, and no formal art training, Betsy began illustrating again in the summer of 2015, after not doing so for many years. This period helped renew her passion for art and helped cement her purpose, pushing her to follow her dreams of pursuing art as a career. Since then, thanks to Betsy’s passion and determination and Luis’s continued support, Bloomwolf Studio has evolved into the creative business it is today and has exhibited at national trade shows, participated in hundreds of pop-up markets, and their products are carried in over 400 small shops and boutiques nationwide. Bloomwolf’s small, but mighty team of three is now based in sunny Orlando. CONNECT WITH BETSY: Website: https://bloomwolfstudio.com Instagram: @bloomwolfstudio Facebook: @bloomwolfstudio TikTok: @bloomwolfstudio SLOW STEADY GROWTH ARE HOW STRONG BUSINESSES ARE BUILT Building a business is a long game, won with patience, fortitude, intentional decisions and passion. Inside Proof to Product LABS, you’ll receive the support, education and accountability to move your business towards your goals. Join Proof to Product Labs, our 12-month group coaching program built specifically for product based business owners. SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!
	11 Apr 2017	Welcome to Proof to Product	00:05:07
Proof to Product is a Podcast taking you behind the scenes of product-based businesses that have built their brand from small online shops to selling through huge retailers and international boutiques like Target and Paper Source. Each week, business owners and industry experts share their struggles and successes as they’ve made difficult but critical transitions to grow their companies. You’ll gather inspiration, discover new resources, and learn new ways of scaling your business. Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by founder, Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses by helping them up-level, scale and build profitable, sustainable companies. Find show notes and additional resources at prooftoproduct.com
	01 Mar 2022	238 \| Building Your Dream Team with Kira La Forgia, Paradigm Consulting	00:34:48
Being an entrepreneur and business owner comes with a lot of perks and flexibility, but add in a team that can support you and scaling your business can feel limitless. When it comes to the actual hiring process, there is so much to consider, including what scaling looks like for you, how to manage your team, and if your team members should be hired as employees or contractors. In today’s episode, Kira La Forgia of Paradigm Consulting joins us to highlight how small businesses can take the first step in hiring and what they should be aware of in the process. Listen in as she helps identify the positions you may have in your business and if they should be classified as employee or contractor. For full show notes, resources and a transcription, please head to prooftoproduct.com/238
	28 Aug 2018	From the Archives \| Heather Haynie & Dani Antol, Rock Paper Scissors on running a brick & mortar shop, dividing responsibilities and how they've overcome personal and business challenges together	00:40:34
We're taking the next two weeks off for an end of summer break. While we’re gone, we’re bringing you four of our most popular episodes pulled from the archives. I hand picked these episodes based on feedback in our Proof to Product Facebook group, emails I’ve received from listeners and convos I’ve had with all of you. We hope you enjoy these episodes and learn something new! Heather Haynie and Dani Antol are the owners of Rock Paper Scissors, a custom invitation and paper goods shop in Charlottesville, Virginia. Rock Paper Scissors is the go-to destination for locals and visitors alike looking for laugh-out-loud greeting cards, journals, dec accessories, calendars, planners and modern gifts. On today’s episode we talk about a wide range of topics including what it takes to run a retail storefront, how they divide responsibilities as business partners and what success looks like for each of them. We also got personal. Dani shares her story of battling cancer. We also discuss how Heather & Dani were able to unify their local community after the hateful rallies in Charlottesville. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: What prompted Heather & Dani to go into business together What their day-to-day looks like running a retail storefront The custom design side of their business The benefits of buying an existing storefront and how they made it their own The growth of Rock Paper Scissors over the years How Heather & Dani divide responsibilities and how it has changed over the years as they have grown The things people should think about before jumping into a business partnership with someone Dani’s battle with breast cancer and why she decided to share her story publicly How breast cancer changed Dani’s perspective and her motivations Heather & Dani’s involvement in the C’ville Heart Project & the purpose behind it The things they have accomplished in their business that they are very proud of What’s next for Rock Paper Scissors KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “I'm extremely thankful that we purchased the business because as Dani said, there were so many things that were already in place that were really helpful for us, from the relationships with vendors, as well as relationships with existing clients.” - Heather Haynie “We trust each other in those roles because we know that that's what we're good at.” - Dani Antol “One of the greatest benefits [of our partnership] is that we don't have the same strengths.” - Heather Haynie “I mean, she [Dani] would have chemo and then be sending me proofs. This girl's work ethic is amazing.” - Heather Haynie “Some really terrible people came to our town and invaded our town and that's something that we always want to be really clear about. They are not Charlottesville and that's not what our town is like at all.” - Heather Haynie “We've grown our business every year, some years higher percentage than others. But every year we have grown and I'm super proud of that.” - Heather Haynie “Running a small business is hard and it is time consuming. There's always a million hats that we're wearing, and so I think it's important to remind ourselves that, "No, we set the rules here and we can decide what we do and not do to some extent." We do need to carve out that time for our personal lives.” - Katie Hunt LINKS Website: www.thinkrockpaperscissors.com Website: www.rpscvilleheart.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thinkrockpaperscissors Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rps_cville/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rps_dani/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rps_heather/ JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY: Do you want to scale your business and add new revenue streams? Are you ready to get a handle on your cash flow and tuck money away for retirement? Maybe you are interested in increasing your visibility and fine-tuning your marketing outreach? Perhaps you have a team that you want to nurture or need help building your team? Our newest on demand program, Paper Camp+ can help you with all of these things and more. The program includes 5 keynote presentations and 2 panels from a wide range of business experts. You can watch what you need, when you need it most and revisit the videos as often as you’d like. This course was built for anyone running a product based business, and extends way beyond the paper industry. Enroll at www.tradeshowcamp.com/pcplus! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!
	15 Nov 2022	273 \| How she found her overseas manufacturing partners with Ashley Jankowski, The Typeset Co	00:26:24
Manufacturing partners aren’t simple or easy to find, but it becomes even more complex when you’re trying to manufacture complex products that are best created overseas. In this episode, Ashley Jankowski joins us to share how she shifted from a branding agency into a product-based business, along with the journey to exploring manufacturers overseas. Today’s episode is brought to you by LABS, our 12-month group coaching program that was built for product based business owners who want to streamline their systems and revenue. We'll be opening up the doors again at the end of the year and everyone on our waitlist will get early access to secure your seat. JOIN THE WAITLIST You can view full show notes and more at prooftoproduct.com/273
	27 Aug 2019	118 \| NY Now & National Stationery Show Summer Recap with Katie Hunt	00:38:19
This past week I traveled from Los Angeles to New York for two trade shows — the National Stationery Show and New York Now. We had just over 35 alumni exhibiting between the two shows, and while I was there, I had the chance to catch up with them about their exhibiting experiences. Today’s compilation episode features interviews with 8 of our Paper Camp alumni. We talk about why each chose to exhibit where they did, they walk us through their decision-making process, what their goals were for the show and… tips they want to share with you all! Hope you enjoy! NY Now: Shayna from Steel Petal Press Sarah from Fancy Seeing You Here Jodi from the Neighborgoods National Stationery Show: Alicia from Slightly Stationery Beth from Little Goat Paper Shannon from Shannon Kirsten Illustrations Brittany of Brittany Paige Designs Jane from Greetings from Bergen Street SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!
	10 Dec 2024	372 \| Opening a Retail Store in the Portland International Airport with Victoria Venturi, Paper Epiphanies [Part 2]	00:22:06
Hey, friend. I'm back with part two of my interview with Victoria Venturi from Paper Epiphanies. If you have yet to listen to part one, that was episode 371. In part one, Victoria shared about her business growth, including what it was like shifting from a business model that was 90% wholesale to a business driven by 90% retail today. Now, she's finding a middle ground between the two. Today, we're continuing our conversation, and Victoria is sharing about the process of opening her store in the Portland International Airport. Today's episode is brought to you by our Is Wholesale Right for You private podcast! This free 12-part audio series will help you decide whether wholesale is a good next step for your specific business. After listening to this audio series (in less than an hour), two things will be true. You'll know whether you want to pursue wholesale for your product business, and you'll have the confidence and action steps to get started with wholesale. Sign up for the private podcast today! SIGN UP You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/372 Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp
	24 Sep 2019	122 \| Four key take-aways from Paper Camp	00:08:11
I’m recording this on a Sunday evening, just two short days after I finished hosting our 16th Paper Camp conference and I’m just now getting a chance to reflect on everything we did at Paper Camp and the amazing feedback we had from our students. In this episode, I want to share some of their key take-aways with you here on this episode. But first I want to preface this conversation by saying we cover a lot of ground at Paper Camp. This is our signature program and we’ve helped over 1,000 small businesses on how to get their products on the shelves on their favorite retail shops. We talk about product development, sales tools for wholesale, sales strategies - working with reps and tech solutions like Faire, marketing to wholesale buyers and the nuts and bolts of exhibiting at shows. As you can imagine, it is a very rich, full two days. I tell you all of that to let you know that we modify each Paper Camp conference for the cohort that is there. They tell us where they are in their business and what they need help with. So, we tailor each conference and course to the attendees that are in attendance; and that is what is reflected in these student take-aways Now, let’s get to the meat of it. Here are the top four take-aways our students left with: Validation. They are on the right track, making smart decisions in their busines and they are not alone. They left feeling validated in the decisions they’ve made thus far and confident in the steps ahead. Road Map. They have answers and know where they are going next. They were given strategies, tools and next steps for their specific business at Paper Camp and now they just need to do the work. Many of them felt relief knowing they have a road map in place. Community. So often creative entrepreneurs feel like they are working in silos. So, to sit in the same room as people who understand them, are working towards similar goals and building similar businesses is refreshing. Having an safe space to openly share resources and strategies without feeling like you’re in direct competition is a special thing. Options. They realized they have a lot of options for how to create their work, diversify their revenue streams and build a sustainable company. There is no one size fits all approach, but now they have information to make the best decisions possible for the business they want to build In addition to the student’s takeaways, I also want to share with you our speakers’ final parting words of wisdom: Rachael Hetzel from Pistachio Press reminded people that there is no one way to build a business. We all do things differently, and that’s what makes our products & business unique. Doing what you love and being confident in your decisions is what will make your business grow stronger. We’re in a unique and supportive industry that o Kimberley Yurkiewicz from Crow & Canary reminded people that they are not alone. If they have a question, its likely someone else has that same question. So, reach out to the community, lean on your peers and leverage the Paper Camp community as you continue to grow. Katie Wilson from The Good Twin encouraged our students to embrace incremental growth. She acknowledged that everyone is building their businesses in a unique way and there is no “right way” to launch to wholesale or release new products. She reminded everyone that even though they all have the same tools, advice and strategies from Paper Camp, that their journeys will be unique. Take comfort in your path and be proud of what you’re building. Carina Murray from Crow & Canary advised people to push themselves to cultivate a unique point of view with their products. While there is an insecurity around being different, embrace it -- buyers are hungry and want to see innovation. And, I reminded everyone that slow steady growth is how strong businesses are build. Be intentional, strategic and confident once they decided on a path. Trust yourself to make the right decisions These are just some of the things we talked about at Paper Camp. I wanted to take you behind the scenes as to what we do at Paper Camp as well as what our key take-aways were. I hope you find it helpful as you’re navigating decisions in your own business. And, I want to remind you that our online program -- the Paper Camp E-Course is open for enrollment and we only have a few seats left. Registration will close this week and we’ll start classes on September 30th. Get more information and register at proooftoproduct.com/papercamp. I look forward to working with you!

Enhance your understanding of Proof to Product with My Podcast Data

At My Podcast Data, we strive to provide in-depth, data-driven insights into the world of podcasts. Whether you're an avid listener, a podcast creator, or a researcher, the detailed statistics and analyses we offer can help you better understand the performance and trends of Proof to Product. From episode frequency and shared links to RSS feed health, our goal is to empower you with the knowledge you need to stay informed and make the most of your podcasting experience. Explore more shows and discover the data that drives the podcast industry.

About us Privacy Policy

Proof to Product (Katie Hunt)

Explore every episode of Proof to Product

SUBSCRIBE

WRITE A REVIEW

FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT

JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST

SHARE

SUBSCRIBE

WRITE A REVIEW

FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT

JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST

SHARE

FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT

JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST

SUBSCRIBE

WRITE A REVIEW

FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT

JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST

SHARE

SUBSCRIBE

WRITE A REVIEW

FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT

JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST

SHARE

SUBSCRIBE

WRITE A REVIEW

FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT

JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST

SHARE

SUBSCRIBE

WRITE A REVIEW

FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT

JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST

SHARE

SUBSCRIBE

WRITE A REVIEW

FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT

JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST

SHARE

SUBSCRIBE

WRITE A REVIEW

FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT

JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST

SHARE

SUBSCRIBE

WRITE A REVIEW

FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT

JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST

SHARE

FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT

JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST

SUBSCRIBE

WRITE A REVIEW

FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT

JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST

SHARE

SUBSCRIBE

WRITE A REVIEW

FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT

JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST

SHARE

SUBSCRIBE

WRITE A REVIEW

FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT

JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST

SHARE

SUBSCRIBE

WRITE A REVIEW

FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT

JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST

SHARE

SUBSCRIBE

WRITE A REVIEW

FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT

JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST

SHARE

SUBSCRIBE

WRITE A REVIEW

FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT

JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST